The Interference II: Curse of the Crimson Elixir
by Newbie-Spud
Summary: Alexander's sister, Erica, becomes an Interference in the game Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir! Fearing her fangirl nature, the Lockshield master goes after her, bringing along his friends Sora, Riku, and Kairi from Kingdom Hearts II...
1. Journeys Led By Farewells

**The Interference II: Curse of the Crimson Elixir**

Prologue  
Journeys Led By Farewells

Alex sighed. "Good grief," he muttered, plopping his head back down onto his pillow. It was the dead of night, and even then he couldn't get much sleep. Then again, with another personality inside your head, it was usually difficult to get any sort of peace.

Alexander felt the presence of his dark counterpart, Joumae, appear from wherever he'd been hiding in his mind. **_Well, you have all the right to feel like staying up late,_** Joumae mused, his voice only audible to Alexander and those who also had other selves in their hearts. **_Your fifteenth birthday is coming up in a few minutes._**

The boy glanced at the digital clock again. It now shone 11:55 in bright red digits. Five minutes until August 15th, his birthday. Alex shrugged. "Yeah, well, I think I'm also not used to this world's sleep schedule yet, either..."

_**Really? **_Joumae grumbled sarcastically. **_It's been two weeks already! Surely you would've gotten enough sleep by then! ...Or is it something else?_**

The boy didn't reply. On the early morning of August 1st, Alexander Karsath had tried starting a new game of Kingdom Hearts II. For some reason, his heart ended up connecting with some aspect of the game in that moment, and he accidentally _created_ the Kingdom Hearts universe and got sucked in. Alex found himself living out the game himself, but his presence slightly interfered with what really should have been happening. He became dubbed the Interference, because of the nature of his presence inside the game universe.

The sleep reference was because of the fact that... well, within the game universe, the adventurers don't require so much sleep. That's why Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the others could go through the game in one shot, and why Alexander had been so tired when he had returned.

But one factor of interfering with the game universe is that time completely stops in the real world while the Interference is within the game. Likewise, the game universe's time stops when the Interference returns, so that the real world's time can catch up. Alexander had been in Kingdom Hearts II for eleven days. Which means that three days ago, that universe's time started up again.

Alexander looked at the clock again. 11:57. "Well, what do you expect?" Alex finally asked. "After all that adventuring, after defeating thousands of Heartless and hundreds of Nobodies, all I have to show for it is you and the Lockshield!"

Ah, yes, the Lockshield. A dark green medium-sized shield with a sharp edge, a Heartless emblem in the middle and a small keyhole in the center. The direct equal and opposite of Sora's Keyblade, with similar powers and properties. The weapon Alexander had gained early in his adventure in Kingdom Hearts II. Joumae was actually the representation of the Lockshield's will. It had been a big help, mainly because it had allowed him to fight, but it had also allowed him to seal the Dark Corridors.

Dark Corridors were the gates that Heartless and Nobodies used to get into the worlds. Alex had sealed pretty much all of them, so those enemies would be staved off for a while. It was probably one of the biggest Interferences he'd made.

Alexander looked one last time at the clock. 11:59. It had been showing that for a while now, so he figured the minute was probably already up. "Happy birthday to me..." he mumbled.

12:00 AM. Alexander Ephiram Karsath was now fifteen years old.

Suddenly, he heard a door open and close. A faint shadow passed over the light shining through the cracks in the door frame. Someone had walked by. Alex groaned, realizing who it must have been. Slowly, he got up out of bed in his pajamas and walked out of his bedroom.

* * *

Alexander leaned on a corner of the wall and looked into the small living room of their apartment. Erica was there, reaching for the PS2. Erica Michelle Karsath was Alexander's younger sister. She was thirteen years old, going on fourteen in a month. She was a head shorter than Alex, and she had long golden-blond hair that hung down her back to her waist. 

"What are you doing?" Alex asked pointedly, startling Erica. Erica turned to face him with a sheepish grin on her face, and a PS2 game box in her hand. Alex sighed. Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir.

"You're such a fangirl, you know that?" Alexander muttered as Erica turned on the PS2 and took out Kingdom Hearts II, putting it in its own case. Erica shrugged, putting her own game in. "I know," she replied nonchalantly.

Fullmetal Alchemist was Erica's absolute favorite anime. Alex had nothing against it; he had been quite a fan himself. It was just Erica's fangirl nature that ruined it for him. She had a whole bunch of merchandise, and drew sloppy transmutation circles when she was bored. Those were just examples of Erica's fangirl tendencies, but Alex didn't really want to know more. But it really wasn't surprising that Erica would play a game based on an anime in the dead of night.

Alex had also played that game, as well as its predecessor. They were actually pretty good games, and they had been developed by Square-Enix. Alex had also beaten FMA 2 once, but Erica...

"Just how many times have you beaten that thing before?" Alex asked. Erica grinned as the game began to load. "I beat it for the third time a week ago. Now I'm gonna play through again."

Alexander rolled his eyes. Again, Erica was such a fangirl. But this franchise of games had one rather interesting aspect. If you saved a Clear Data, you could start from the beginning again with all of your items and equipment. No doubt Erica was about to do that now...

The title screen showed up. Erica selected Load Game, then hovered over her Clear Data. With great aplomb, she pressed the X button. Then there was a flash of light...

* * *

Alexander unshielded his eyes. He gasped at what he saw. All around him, everything was black and white, with the exception of his body (but, strangely enough, not his pajamas) and the PS2. But that wasn't what scared him. What scared him was the fact that Erica was nowhere to be seen. The television was still shining brightly. 

"Joumae!" Alex shouted. "What the heck is going on!?" He heard Joumae sigh. **_Isn't it obvious? Your sister's heart has connected with the game Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir._** Alexander glanced at the colorless surroundings. Sensing his question, Joumae added, **_Time has stopped in this world to allow her to go through the game._**

Alex looked over himself. "Then how come we...?" Then it hit him. "Oh, right... I've been an Interference, so the failsafe law doesn't apply to me..." **_That's right. Everything that's been in the game universe is still mobile._**

Alexander glared at the PS2. "Then we've got to do something." Joumae was surprised. **_Wait, what? What are you doing?_** he demanded as Alex trooped back into his bedroom and swung open his closet door. Pushing aside some of the clothes, he gazed at his traveling garments from Kingdom Hearts II, which had lost none of their color. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked, pulling the clothes out of the closet. "I'm going in after her."

He started to put on the magical garments. Dark brown boots, dark green baggy slacks with big pockets at the sides, a black undershirt, a dark red jacket, and gray fingerless gloves. **_Um... I'm pretty sure we _can't_ do that,_** Joumae pointed out. **_It was her heart that connected with that universe, not yours. You can't get in like that._**

"I had a feeling about that," Alex replied, putting on the last glove. The Lockshield appeared in his hand in inky black smoke. "But I've already thought of a way in." Joumae was confused for a second, but then it struck him. **_Oh, no..._**

"Oh, yes," Alex grumbled. He stormed into the living room and knelt down to the PS2. Without restarting the machine, Alex ejected the FMA game's disc and placed Kingdom Hearts II inside instead. Giving the game a few moments to load, Alex then pointed the center of his Lockshield at the television. "Unlock!" he yelled.

A bright beam shot out from the weapon and stabbed the air just in front of the television. The space rippled for a second, and a circular dark portal appeared. Without any hesitation, Alex jumped in.

* * *

A portal appeared in the middle of the back alley of Twilight Town. Alexander fell through, landing unceremoniously on his stomach with a surprised shout. Slowly, Alex got up onto his feet. "Well, at least I was awake this time..." he admitted. "Maybe next time I'll land on my feet." 

_**Yeah, let's hope,**_ Joumae sarcastically muttered. Alex rolled his eyes and glanced up at the large clock tower in the distance above him. "Funny... it's starting in the exact same fashion as last time..."

"Hey, Alex!" a boy's voice shouted behind him. Alex turned to see Hayner, with Pence and Olette standing behind him. "Hayner!" Alexander shouted back, excited to see his friends again.

"Back already?" Hayner asked. "You couldn't wait three days to come back and visit?" Alexander raised an eyebrow. Turned out that Joumae's hypothesis had indeed been correct. "Actually... it's been about two weeks in the real world."

This surprised them. "You mean... time doesn't pass in the same rate between the two worlds?" Pence wondered. Alex shook his head. "No. It means that time in my world had stopped while I was here. Time stopped in this world when I left so that my world could catch up."

"So time has stopped in your world again?" Olette finished. Alex nodded. "Well, it wasn't done by me, though..." He sighed. "This isn't a social call, guys. I just arrived, and I need to get moving."

Alexander quickly explained how his sister, Erica, had become an Interference in another game, and how Alex had come here so that he could get to that game's world. "You never told us you had a sister," Hayner remarked as Alex finished up his tale.

"You never asked," Alex responded, not wanting to waste any time. "Anyway, I'd better get going. Wish me luck."

His friends nodded. Alexander nodded back, then turned around and started running to the train station.

* * *

Alex used the so-called Ghost Train to travel to a familiar place. Yen Sid's tower. Hopefully, the wise wizard had returned, and would be able to help out. Fortunately, the Dark Corridor in Twilight Town had been sealed, so Alexander encountered no Nobodies on the way up. 

Alex opened the door to the sorcerer's loft. True enough, Yen Sid sat in his tall chair at his desk in the center of the room. Alex approached the table and bowed. "Master Yen Sid. Good to see you again," he greeted the wizard.

Yen Sid smiled. "Alexander. It seems you've gotten used to formalities already." Alex smiled back. "I'm not quite so confused this time around," he replied. "It's that simple."

Yen Sid nodded, and said, "I've been expecting you." Alex sighed. "Why am I not surprised? So you are already aware of the situation?"

The wizard acknowledged that he was aware. Another note about being an Interference: When the world is created, some people become aware of their existence within the game. Usually it's the more wizened characters, but it really depends on the opinion of the Interference. Yen Sid, of course, had been one of those people.

"Well, you're probably wondering why I want to go after her," Alex proposed. "Well, that particular game has elements that are... quite a bit more deadly in reality than in this game. Besides, I don't think Erica has the..." He searched for a word that would politely describe his sister's fangirl nature. "..._wisdom_ to prevent herself from changing too much. So I'll need a gummi ship to get to her world."

Alex grinned. "I entered this game while Erica's game was still running. That technically provided a connection to her world from here. That means that I can easily get there by gummi ship."

Yen Sid nodded again. "Correct. But you should also be careful, Alexander. Because there is a connection between those two video games, there is now a way for the Heartless and Nobodies to enter that world." Alex hung his head in dismay. Yen Sid continued, "There might also be other connections between the two games, but I can't be sure."

This confused Alexander, but he decided not to think about it for now. He summoned his Lockshield. "So do you have a gummi ship I could use? I'd like to get going."

"Patience," Yen Sid chided him. "You'll need assistance. If your old foes do indeed enter that world, then your Lockshield won't be enough to fend all of them off."

"I'd suggest bringing your old friends from the Destiny Islands," the wizard explained. "They will blend in better than those at Disney Castle, and having several Keyblades' worth of strength will be a great help against the Heartless and the Nobodies."

Alexander nodded, taking this all in. "So I'll be crossing over from Kingdom Hearts II into Fullmetal Alchemist. Alright. Can I get going now?"

Yen Sid smiled, amused at the Interference's impatience. Out the window, Alex saw the gummi ship float up into sight. Alex nodded. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you later, Yen Sid."

* * *

On Destiny Islands, Sora, Riku, and Kairi were on the little island with the paopu tree on it. Sora and Riku were sparring with wooden swords, and Kairi was looking on, smiling. Alex walked out of the little shack on the beach and looked up at them. "Hey, guys!" he shouted, waving to them. 

All three of them recognized the voice, and turned to face the source. "Alexander!" Sora shouted excitedly, jumping down from the bridge to meet him. "Happy birthday!"

Alex was incredibly surprised by that last statement. "Uh, thanks... You remembered!?" He had mentioned his birthday only once before, and that had been a few days ago (in this world's time).

"So you decided to celebrate your birthday here?" Riku mused. Alexander chuckled, then hung his head and sighed. "I wish it was so... Unfortunately, this is no time to socialize."

Kairi became worried. "What's the matter?" she asked. Alex looked up at the three of them. "My sister, Erica... she has become an Interference in another game, called Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir. She's a total fangirl when it comes to Fullmetal Alchemist... and that game can be far more deadly in reality than this game. So I'm going in after her, to make sure she's alright."

"So why did you come here?" Sora inquired. Alex rubbed the back of his neck, a little nervous to be asking his comrades for such a favor. "Well... because I managed to create a connection between the two games, there's a good chance that there'll be Heartless and Nobodies at some point."

"Ah," Riku realized, "so you need us to help you fight them." On cue, all three of them summoned their Keyblades. Sora brought out his Kingdom Key, Riku summoned his Way to the Dawn, and Kairi wielded her flowery-looking Keyblade, which Alex supposed was called the Purity. He wasn't sure.

"Would you mind helping me out?" Alex asked hesitantly. Sora was quick to respond. "Of course! None of us will mind another adventure, right?" he added as he turned to the others, who promptly agreed.

_**You were right, Joumae. With Alexander's luck, we'd need to plan on seeing him again.**_The voice had come from Sora, but the Keyblade master's mouth wasn't moving. Of course, they all knew who it was. It was Roxas. **_Roxas, I think you're starting to act like Joumae now..._** another voice came from Kairi's direction, which startled Alex. "So... Naminè's talking now?" he asked. Kairi smiled and nodded.

Sora and Kairi's Nobodies were also able to speak in their others' minds. Alex could hear Roxas and Naminè through Joumae, and Sora and Kairi could hear Joumae through their Nobodies. Riku technically still had Xehanort's Heartless still within his heart, so he could hear them as well.

Alexander wasn't surprised that Sora and Riku would be willing to leave after only three days. After all, they had been gone from the world for over a year. Their families had most likely moved on without them. It was strange that way, but... Kairi, on the other hand, was most likely not going to separate from Sora for more than a second. So there was no point in trying to tell her to stay.

Alex smiled at his friends. "Alright, let's get going. We have a new world to explore." With that, they all headed for the gummi ship.

* * *

Alexander took another glance at the world map. There was another path stretching forth from Radiant Garden. It led to a new world, labeled "Amestris." That was the world where Erica was currently being an Interference. The world of Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir. 

"I guess I'll just tell you guys up front," he stated, attracting his friends' attention as Sora steered the ship toward Amestris. "This world is not one of magic. It's a world of science. Things like magic and Keyblades and Lockshields would not be understood or easily accepted there."

"So, basically, don't use our abilities unless it's absolutely necessary?" Riku finished for him. Alex nodded. "No doubt my sister has already met that game's main protagonists." He shuddered, having imagined for a moment what such a meeting might have been like. "If we find them, we'll most likely find Erica. And we'll probably find trouble soon after," he added, already beginning to feel worried. The second chronicle of The Interference had begun.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	2. The Desert City Lior

Chapter 1  
The Desert City Lior

A group of travelers reached the fountain plaza of the desert city. One was a tall figure in a light blue suit of armor. Another was a short boy in a red trenchcoat, with long blond hair tied up in a large braid behind him, and golden eyes. The last was a golden-blond-haired girl who stood at an equal height with the boy. She was wearing a red undershirt, black sweatpants, black sneakers, and a black trenchcoat.

The short blond boy stopped and smirked. "Well, looks like we're finally here – the desert city of Lior," the boy announced.

A surprisingly young boy's voice came from the tall suit of armor. "The folks around here seem a little different from the people in other towns..." the figure admitted.

The golden-blond girl looked up at the buildings, a wide grin on her face. "Woohoo!" she shouted suddenly. "We're finally here!" At once, the girl started running toward the plaza. Almost on cue, the armor reached out and grabbed the back of the girl's coat, jerking her back to the ground.

The short boy rolled his eyes. "Geez, Erica... If you're gonna be traveling with us, you have to stop running off like that." The girl looked up at her companion, and sighed. "Alright already, Edward..."

Alphonse Elric picked Erica up and looked at his older brother, Edward Elric."Well, that was settled quicker than usual..." he remarked. Edward chuckled. "Anyway, I hear most of the townspeople are followers of the Sun God, Leto. Sounds like a cult if you ask me."

"So..." Alphonse started, "about those miracles that are being performed by their prophet..." Erica suddenly thrust a fist into the air. "Yep!" she shouted. "Definitely alchemy!"

Edward gave Erica a weird look. "At least, according to the rumors... How do you know about this stuff?" Erica looked back at him, giving the boy a cheesy grin. "Again," she replied, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

The young alchemist shook his head and continued. "But even then, being able to 'resurrect the dead' seems a little far-fetched." Alphonse glanced at Edward. It was hard to tell what Alphonse's emotions were within the suit of armor. "You think it has something to do with the Philosopher's Stone?" he asked hesitantly.

"That's what we came here to find out, isn't it?" Edward responded. Erica walked forward a little, then turned back to face both of them. She was still grinning. "You'll find out... eventually." Edward glared at her. "If you've got something to say, say it!" he yelled.

Suddenly, Erica gasped, staring at the alley behind the two brothers. Edward sighed. "What is it now!?" he demanded. Erica pointed at the alley. "I thought I saw a light flash from there..." she mumbled.

Edward was more than a little skeptical. "Alright, I've had enough of this nonsense," he muttered, walking past her. Edward grabbed the back of Erica's coat with his right arm, and dragged her along. "For starters," Edward stated, pretending that he wasn't dragging a complaining fangirl behind him, "we should try meeting up with this so-called prophet."

* * *

Alexander hesitantly stepped out from the alleyway. He looked back at his friends. "Alright, the coast is clear." Sora, Riku, and Kairi promptly walked out of the alley, looking at their surroundings with curiosity. Alex gestured at the buildings. "This is the desert city Lior, guys," he announced. "Our first stop in Amestris."

Sora looked around. "So, will we find your sister here?" Alex shrugged. "Well, I don't know how far she's gotten along yet." He saw a small café on the corner of the street on the right side. "Let's try there first," he said, pointing at the place. The quartet walked over to the small café. There were only htree other people sitting on the stools in front of the counter. A small girl in a black trenchcoat, an equally short boy in a red trenchcoat (but his had a weird symbol on the back: A cross with a snake winding around it.), and a tall figure in a light blue suit of armor. Alex grinned, but otherwise pretended not to notice.

The quartet sat down on the stools on the other end of the corner. The three strange people only gave them a glance. The girl seemed to be surprised at the presence of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, but didn't recognize Alexander. Alex let out a small sigh.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Suddenly, some weird gothic music started up, the sound somewhat tinny, like it was being broadcast through a radio. "_Children of God who live upon this land..._" a man's voice chanted amidst the broadcast. "_Pray in faith that ye may be saved..._"

The quartet looked up into the air, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. Apparently, it was all over the city. The tall suit of armor and the short boy also looked around in confusion, the boy mumbling, "Hm?" The girl just sat there, muttering to herself.

The broadcast continued: "_As sun lights the day... so does Leto illuminate thy path... and drown out the shadows of suffering._" A voice within the suit of armor spoke next, its startlingly young pitch and echoing nature surprising the Kingdom Hearts characters. "Is this some sort of religious broadcast?" the voice within the armor asked.

"_I am the Sun God's commissary..._" the man continued through the radio on top of the café's concrete awning. The blond boy spoke again, his voice drawing attention away from the broadcast. "God's... commissary?" the boy repeated in disbelief. "If this is supposed to be a comedy show, no one's laughing. Who the heck is that?"

A customer approaching the café overheard the question. "Why, that's Father Cornello," the stranger replied. The boy was still confused. "Who's that?"

The shopkeeper behind the counter seemed incredibly surprised. "You're kidding me! You've never heard of the great prophet Cornello!?" The generic customer nodded vigorously. "He performs miracles! I've never seen anything like it before! It's God's work for sure!"

The boy in the red trenchcoat seemed curious. "Father Cornello the prophet, huh? So, mister, how can I get an audience with this guy?" The customer gestured toward a street on the other end of the plaza. "He's always in the temple. Just head straight down this street and you're there."

"The temple of the Sun God..." the boy muttered to himself, suddenly grinning. "Well, no use sitting around with that information. Al, Erica, you ready to split?" The suit of armor nodded. "Uh-huh. Up and at 'em..."

The armor stood up, and accidentally bumped his head into the concrete awning, making it shake quite a bit. The radio sitting on top of it slipped off and fell to the ground, breaking into many fragments. "Uh-oh..." the armor mumbled. The shopkeeper was furious. "Aaaaaaagh!" he screamed. "My... my radio!!!"

"Oops..." the armor mumbled again. This did nothing to help the shopkeepers' temper. "Ohhh... now you've done it buddy... What do you expect, wearing a tin suit like that?"

The short blond boy shrugged, surprisingly calm about it. "Don't bust a lung, grandpa. We can fix it." The shopkeeper was rather skeptical. "It's in a thousand pieces!" he pointed out rather harshly.

The armor finished drawing a rather strange circular diagram on the ground around the radio. "Okay, here goes!" he announced. The armor held his hands over the circle, and some bright blue sparks flashed between his hands and the circle. There was a small burst of smoke. When it dissipated, the radio was there, completely intact. "Whoaaa!" the shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise.

The blond boy grinned, setting the radio down on the counter. "Is that good enough for ya?" he challenged. The shopkeeper started to laugh. "Well, I'll be damned... It really is a land of prophets! Your buddy can work miracles like Cornello!"

The boy stood beside the suit of armor and the girl. "Oh, it's nothing like that." The girl nodded vigorously. "That's right!" she shouted a bit too loudly. "It's science. They're alchemists!" she added, pointing at the other two travelers.

Alexander groaned, but fortunately only his friends could hear. "Is that your sister?" Riku asked quietly. Alex nodded slightly. "Just wait until we're out of earshot of other people. Then I'll confront her." Kairi continued to watch the scene play out. "I'm surprised she didn't notice you yet..."

Alex shrugged. "I changed a lot when I returned from your universe. That, and she hasn't seen me in these garments before..." He chuckled. "I don't exactly come across as a Square-Enix protagonist at home."

"We're the Elric brothers," the short boy explained, unknowingly drawing the quartet's attention back to him. "Not to brag or anything, but we're pretty well known."

The shopkeeper mulled this over. "Elric, huh...?" Then it seemed to hit him. "Oh, the Elric brothers!? Oh, I've heard of you guys before!" The customer nodded. "The older brother is the State Alchemist... 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Edward Elric!"

Everyone's attention turned to the tall suit of armor. "So **you're** the master alchemist!" the shopkeeper exclaimed. "And now I see why you're called 'Fullmetal'! It's because of this suit of armor!"

The tall figure seemed embarrassed, though it was hard to tell. "Um... it's not me... It's him," he stated, gesturing toward the significantly shorter blond boy. All eyes turned to him. "Huh?" the shopkeeper mumbled. "You mean that little shorty?"

Alex clamped his hands over his ears. The short boy and girl metaphorically (and simultaneously) exploded. "**Who're you callin' a bean-sprout midget?!**" they shouted in unison. This shocked everybody.

Alex sighed, glancing at his immensely surprised friends. "An example of Erica's fangirl nature... Erica has pretty much absorbed the main protagonist's... height complex," he finished, lowering his head in shame.

The suit of armor quickly stepped in to prevent the two height-challenged youngsters (especially the fangirl) from killing anybody. "I'm Alphonse Elric, the younger brother!" the suit of armor quickly explained. The blond boy slowly calmed down, jerking himself free of the armor's grip. "And I am the 'Fullmetal Alchemist', Edward Elric!" he spat irritably.

The shopkeeper, still a bit shocked, could only mumble, "Uh... so sorry..." The girl nodded, still glaring at them. "And I'm Erica Karsath! I'm a good friend of theirs!" Edward shot a surprised look at Erica. "What!? You are not!" He turned back to the generic townspeople. "Uneducated, no-good, rotten..." He sighed. "C'mon, Al, Erica, let's get out to the temple."

The three strange travelers promptly left. The quartet stood up and began to follow. "Alright, now's as good a time as any..." Alex muttered. Sora nodded.

* * *

They met the three strangers halfway into the plaza, next to the fountain. "Hey, Erica!" Alex shouted out to them. The trio turned around to face them. Erica stared at them for a moment, then replied, "Yeah? What do you want?"

Alex stepped forward. "Erica. It's me, Alex! Your brother!" Erica stared at him for a few moments. Then her eyes went wide in apparent shock. "Alex...?"

Edward and Alphonse were also a little surprised. "You have a brother?" Alphonse asked. Erica nodded, then turned back to them. "Ed, Al, meet Alexander Karsath, my older brother. Alex for short." Edward shrugged as Alex waved at them half-heartedly. "Well, hello Alex," Edward muttered. Looking past Alexander, he asked, "Who're your companions there?"

Alex smirked. "Oh, right. Edward, Alphonse, Erica, meet my friends Sora, Riku, and Kairi." Erica's eyes went wide again. She suddenly grabbed Alex's arm and said, "Hey, Alex, can we have a private talk for a moment?" Without waiting for an answer, Erica quickly dragged Alex to the other side of the plaza. The two Elric brothers and the Kingdom Hearts crew looked on in confusion for a few moments.

Erica let go once they were out of earshot. "You mean you're friends with characters from KH2!?" Alex grinned, and nodded. "Two weeks ago, I got sucked into Kingdom Hearts II, just like you've gotten sucked into this FMA game. Time completely stops when that kind of thing happens, so it went completely unnoticed in the real world."

"Y'see, Erica," Alex explained, "you've become something we call an Interference. It's a bit complicated, but basically it's someone who goes into the game universe and slightly changes the storyline." Alex paused, and raised an eyebrow at his sister. "I know how much you're a Fullmetal Alchemist fangirl. You haven't changed too much already, have you?"

Erica shook her head. "No, of course not! I only just met the Elrics, in the middle of the desert on their way here. I woke up with these new threads," she added, gesturing at her new clothes. She regarded Alexander for a silent moment. "So... KH2 did that to you?"

Alex grinned. "More or less." Then he leaned in, suddenly becoming serious. "If there's one thing I've learned, Erica, it's that you shouldn't change too much in a game. Don't go telling Edward or anyone else too much about the game and everything. Fortunately, I had some other people who could explain to Sora and his friends about the game, but I don't know about this world. Edward Elric would most likely be pretty skeptical about the whole ordeal."

"Alright! I get it!" Erica shouted, throwing her hands up into the air. "Now, why don't you guys leave me alone and let me go through my own game?" Alex shook his head. "I can't leave until the game's over, now that it has started. Besides..." he began to add, making sure that he was being perfectly clear. "You'll need help. I know I did." He stood up straight, and patted her on the back. "Just leave all the explanations to me. I'm good at those."

Alex started guiding her back to the other side of the plaza. "Now, why don't we go join our friends, sis?" Erica glared at him, and said nothing.

Sora noticed them first. "Oh, hey guys!" he shouted, waving at them. "We were just getting acquainted with the Elrics here." Edward shrugged. Kairi nodded. "We figured that since you two will be together again, it seems that we'll all be traveling together as one group." Alex grinned. At least that was already settled.

Edward grunted. "Alright. Can we get going to the temple? We have an appointment with that Cornello guy." Everyone gave him their agreements, and they started walking down the street again.

"Edward, I gotta ask..." Alex muttered. "What was Erica's first reaction when she met you two?" Edward and Alphonse suddenly froze. Erica chuckled nervously. "Well, I kinda... _squealed_... and glomped Ed..." Edward shuddered at the memory. Alex smirked. "Forget I asked, then." **_Thought so,_** Joumae remarked confidently.

Alex rejoined his original comrades. Riku asked under a hushed tone, "What did you two talk about?" Alex shrugged, gesturing at the Elrics to indicate that they were still within earshot. "Nothing much," he replied in a conversational tone. "Just kinda explained why we were all here." That seemed to convey the real meaning well enough.

* * *

The new party of seven (Sora, Riku, Kairi, Alexander, Edward, Alphonse, and Erica) walked into the residential district. Edward looked down the street with a grin. "So, straight down this street to the temple, and we'll be shaking hands with the prophet Cornello."

Alphonse also looked down the street. "How, it looks like there's some kind of gathering up ahead." Everyone else looked, and saw three people in the distance, staring at the party. "Are they waiting for us?" Sora wondered.

The three strangers slowly approached them. The middle one was a dark-suited man with dark skin. The other two were fair-skinned men with white suits and glasses. All three of them had their hands behind their backs. Alexander and Erica knew that they were Leto cultists.

"You!" the dark-suited cultist shouted. "You're the State Alchemist Edward Elric, aren't you?" he demanded. Edward glared back. "So what if I am? Who wants to know?" With a chuckle, he added, "I don't do autographs."

"Visiting Father Cornello won't be possible, I'm afraid," the cultist said in a disturbingly nonchalant tone. "For your souls are destined to depart for the afterlife..." His voice suddenly took on a serious edge as he finished, "...right here and now!"

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Is that a fancy way of telling us you're about to kick our asses?" The cultist glared at him. "It is the will of Leto. Nothing personal!" On that cue, the cultists all pulled out their hands from behind their backs, revealing the rifles they were carrying. They were armed and ready.

Edward couldn't help but grin as he got into a fighting stance. "I'd say your god's got some aggressive tendencies, but if it's a fight you want, I'm more than happy to oblige!" Alphonse suddenly became worried. "W-wait, Ed... What about the others?"

This seemed to make a point, because all attention turned to the quartet. Riku shrugged. "We'll fight too. You guys are outnumbered, because we're also armed." Alex nodded. With a sweep of his hand, he shouted, "Erica, find some cover!" Alex summoned his Lockshield out of darkness, and Sora, Riku, and Kairi's respective Keyblades appeared in flashes of light.

Erica stared at the Lockshield for a few moments, then ran away from the impending battle. Edward also seemed startled by the appearance of the strange weapons, but he apparently decided that now was not the time to ask. His grin returned as he faced the cultists. "If beating up psycho cultists is wrong, then I don't wanna be right! C'mon, guys!"

Edward and Alphonse led the charge against the enemies. The cultists weren't too fast or strong, so they were easy to beat up. The quartet made a few notes about the fighting techniques of the Elrics. Apparently, those two didn't use weapons to fight; they were rather versatile with unarmed combat. While they beat down a couple cultists, the others slashed reinforcement cultists with their blades, especially the ones that were about to fire their rifles.

The battle was quickly resolved. Erica joined the party, coming out from wherever she had been hiding. Edward shook his head, glancing at the unconscious bodies laying around them. "Geez, what do they teach these guys at church, anyway? Let's head to the temple."

* * *

They continued down the street, into the business district. More cultists were already there waiting for them. **_Lather, rinse, repeat,_** Roxas muttered as they repeated the same fighting process over again: Erica hid, while the others made mincemeat out of the cultists. This time, the Kingdom Hearts crew managed to notice something new during the fight. Edward was apparently the leader between the two brothers. Every once in a while, Edward would shout at Alphonse to help him in battle, and Alphonse would promptly defend him or tackle his brother's enemy, among other things.

The remaining cultists were stunned by their fighting prowess. "They're... they're thrashing us!" one of them shouted. "They're defying the heavens! Get more men! These heretics must not live. It is the will of Leto. Kill them!!!"

Edward sighed. "I don't know about you, Al, but I think these guys have been out in the desert way too long!" More cultists appeared, and the fight resumed. Since it was really Edward and Alphonse's battle, the others just picked off the weaker ones.

Suddenly, Edward clapped his hands at the end of his combination attack, with a loud, clear sound ringing out from the impact. He slammed one hand to the ground. In a large flash of blue sparks, the ground in front of him quickly shifted, and formed a tall bunch of stone spikes, which bashed the cultist Edward had been beating up. The cultist was quickly knocked out. It had all taken about a couple of seconds.

As the stone spikes crumbled back onto the ground, Kairi was the first to voice her curiosity. "What kind of technique was that?" she asked. Edward grinned at them. "That was alchemy. It's basically the science of understanding something, deconstructing it, and reconstructing it as something else. Al here used alchemy to transmute that radio earlier."

Riku grunted. "Interesting." Sora could only stare at the spot where the stone spikes had appeared. Alex was also impressed, because this was pretty much his first time seeing it in person.

Alphonse nodded. "So... what kind of weapons are those?" he asked in turn, indicating the quartet's blades. Sora grinned, and rested his weapon on his shoulder. "These are Keyblades! Alex's weapon is the Lockshield!" Erica came out from her hiding spot. "So that's called the Lockshield?" she asked. Alexander grinned at her, hefting the shield up. "Cool, huh?"

Erica merely glared at him, which came to him as a surprise. Edward quickly muttered, "But how'd you manage to summon it from thin air like that? It doesn't look like alchemy of any kind I've seen..."

Sora thought about it. "I've never really considered that before." He glanced at Alexander. "Though, I think Alex might have an explanation." Alex shrugged. "I might, but then we'd be late for Edward's _appointment_ with Cornello. Maybe another time."

* * *

They came to the temple approach. There were many, many cultists there waiting for them. There were also a few barrels scattered around the street. Edward grinned, and ran toward one of the barrels. He clapped his hands together and touched the barrel. In a flash of blue sparks, it transformed into a... metal doghouse-looking thing. Then the doghouse structure opened up like a paper cutout and released several mechanical mice, which headed for the cultists. When each mecha-mouse touched one of the enemies, it exploded, sending several of them flying.

This kinda unnerved the others. "Your brother's transmutations aren't too tasteful, are they?" Alexander asked Alphonse, who could only nod passively. But they returned to reality and led the charge into battle. At least the strange transmutation was helping them fight.

Edward revealed another alchemic attack. At the end of his combo, he clapped his hands again and placed one hand on his right arm. In a flash of blue sparks, a blade appeared on his arm. He used the blade to slash up a cultist, who was quickly knocked out. Once he was done, the blade faded away in more blue sparks. This confused the others, but they were too busy battling to ask.

They faced the last few cultists. "Grr..." the middle one growled. "They're stronger than they look. Don't fall back! Call for more reinforcements!" Edward, hearing this, was rather skeptical. "Aw, come on, already. I'll give you guys points for tenacity, but your fighting skills suck!"

"Agh! Don't listen to their blasphemy!" the cultist quickly ordered his men. "Get them!"

"What are you doing!?" a woman's voice demanded from behind the party. Everyone looked to see a young fairly dark-skinned woman in a white dress there. Her distinguishing feature was that her long bangs were all a bright pink. The rest of her hair was dark. The cultist sighed. "What a time to run into Rose..."

"How could you all gang up on them?" Rose demanded. "You've turned into a mob!" Alphonse became worried. "W-watch out, miss! You shouldn't get so close!" Rose ignored him, continuing to lecture the cultists. "Repent, before Leto punishes you all for your sins!"

The main cultist sighed again. "Bad timing... We'll let these blackguards go for now. Retreat!" On that cue, all of the cultists quickly ran away from the scene. This surprised Rose. "...Wait! Where are you going? We're not through here! Don't you even have one word of apology to these young people? Wait, I said!"

But it was too late. The cultists were long gone. Kairi quickly cut in by saying, "Um, thank you. We're alright." Edward rolled his eyes. "Some welcome wagon you guys have. All they were giving out were free trips to the hospital..." Alphonse ignored his brother's sarcasm. "They were obviously worshipers of Leto..." he pointed out.

Riku glanced at Edward. "They did ask if you were a State Alchemist. Could that be why they ganged up on us?" This did nothing to lighten Edward's tone. "What do they have against State Alchemists? Is it in the teachings of Leto to pick fights with strangers?"

Rose gasped. "You mean they jumped you? Th-that can't be!" Edward nodded. "Believe it, sister," he replied. He took on a deep tone to impersonate the cultists. "_'So is the will of Leto,'_ they said. Easily riled god, huh?"

"That's impossible!" Rose assured them, still shocked. "Our prophet, Father Cornello, couldn't possible allow it!"

Erica chuckled. "No doubt they were ordered to jump us by your so-called prophet." Alex shushed her harshly. Sora nodded. "Yeah, from the way they were talking, that's what it sounded like."

Rose glared at them. "Please, stop with this nonsense! Father Cornello is a venerable man who taught us, the unlearned, of God's teachings! Violence is not in God's teachings!"

Edward smirked. "You'd might as well preach to a brick wall. We're not believers..." Rose cut him off with a forced smile, saying, "In that case, why don't you come to our gathering? It's at the temple up ahead. Then you should be able to see how truly wonderful Father Cornello and the teachings of Leto really are!"

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "And... will Father Cornello be at this gathering?" Erica smacked him upside the head for no apparent reason. "Well, no duh," she muttered. "Of course he will."

Edward's smirk quickly turned into a grin. "Huh... In that case, maybe I'll take your invitation and check it out." Rose's smile became genuine, not catching Edward's read intent. "That's wonderful! Oh, my name is Rose."

Alphonse nodded. "I'm Alphonse Elric. And this is my older brother..." Edward finished for him, "Edward Elric." Sora nodded. "I'm Sora, and these are my friends Riku, Kairi, and Alexander." Alexander nodded. "This is my sister, Erica," Alex added, gesturing toward his sister, who smiled.

Rose beamed back at them. "You all have such beautiful names. Please come this way. I'll take you to the temple."

* * *

Rose led the way into the temple of Leto's courtyard. It was huge, but hardly even big enough for the crowd it this event had drawn. Even Edward was surprised as they watched from the very back of the gathering. "Wow, what a turnout... So they're all believers in Leto, huh?"

Rose nodded. "That's right. This alone is a testament to the greatness of Father Cornello." She smiled. "How wonderful it is to worship God and live very day in gratitude and hope... If you show him you're faithful, I bet he could make you taller!"

Edward and Erica both shouted, "**What did you say!?**" Alphonse looked embarrassed. "There, there. She didn't mean any harm."

Rose ignored this, and suddenly became excited. "Oh! There he is! Father Cornello is about to perform his miracles!" Everyone looked, and saw a rather large, bald man with a kind face walk onto the stage with a cane. He looked humble enough, but the party wasn't so reassured.

_**I wonder if it really will be merely a performance...**_ Naminé mused. **_Well, we're about to find out,_** Roxas remarked.

"Children of God who live upon his land," Cornello shouted so that all could hear, "pray in faith that ye may be saved!" There was a small dead bird in his hands. Bright red sparks flashed form Cornello's left hand, specifically the middle finger where there was a red ring. After a few moments, the bird stood up and fluttered around, eventually landing on Cornello's shoulder. Gasps and cries of joy came unanimously from the townspeople. "I am thy father and the Sun God's commissary..." Cornello continued.

Kairi nodded. "Oh, I get it. Those must be the miracles." Edward glanced at Alphonse and whispered just loud enough for the party to hear, "What do you think?" Alphonse shrugged slightly. "Well, it looks pretty obvious. He's using alchemy. It's just like you said."

Edward suddenly scowled. "Right. But still, something's wrong..."

* * *

A while later, the party stood in the temple approach again. "So!" Rose suddenly exclaimed. "How are you liking your first miracle gathering?" she asked the party. "Isn't Father Cornello amazing?"

Edward shrugged. "Well, he's an amazing performer, I'll give him that. But those aren't miracles. He's swindling you." Rose let out a small gasp, quite put off by Edward's insistence. Alphonse didn't notice this, just nodding in agreement. "But he's ignoring the laws," he added a little worriedly. Edward's scowl became more pronounced. "Yeah, that's what's bugging me. For that holy bastard to be using that kind of alchemy..."

Rose was outraged. "I'm telling you, it isn't alchemy! Why won't any of you believe that we're seeing true miracles?"

Alphonse ignored her, leaning in toward Edward. "Brother, could it be...?" he whispered. Edward nodded only slightly. "Yeah, it could be..." He grinned. "Jackpot!" Edward muttered excitedly.

"Huh?" Sora mumbled, not quite understanding the significance of the exchange. Edward didn't pay him any mind, and suddenly put on an obviously fake expression of curiosity. "You know what, Rose? I'm **really** interested in this religion now!"

Rose was completely fooled. She smiled as Edward continued. "And I'd really like to meet the prophet in person – could you guide us to where he is?" Erica caught the hint and gave Rose her best begging look. "Pleeease?" Erica begged, making Alexander groan.

"Oh! So I finally converted you?" Rose asked, nodding vigorously. "Of course, I will gladly take you to him!"

The party began to follow her. Riku nudged Alexander once they were out of earshot of the Fullmetal Alchemist characters. "Just what are we getting into?" he whispered. Alex shrugged. "It's Erica we're keeping an eye on. Just go with the flow for now. That's how you be an Interference."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	3. The Temple of Leto

Chapter 2  
The Temple of Leto

The party stood in the prayer hall of the temple. One of the senior black-suited cultists, called Cray, came out to greet them. "Father Cornello is doing a favor for Rose," Cray explained. "He's a very busy man. You should consider yourselves lucky."

Edward nodded. "I appreciate it. I promise it won't take long." The cultist nodded. "Yes, I know. It will all be over in a second. ...Just like _this_!" And, with that, the cultist pulled out a gun from behind his back and shot at Alphonse, shooting the armored helmet clean off, and knocking the armor to the ground.

All of the party got into fighting stances as more cultists came into the hall and surrounded them. Rose screamed, "Cray! What are you doing?"

"Rose, Father Cornello gave the word," Cray explained. "The hammer of God has fallen on these heretics. It is Leto's will!"

"Wow... you're god is mean," Alphonse remarked. Cray was surprised. "Hm? Who's there?" he demanded, staring at the armor. Slowly, Alphonse's body picked itself up off the floor. In the process, it leaned forward, revealing the insides. Or rather, the lack thereof.

"What the–!?" Cray exclaimed. Rose was completely shocked, as were the Kingdom Hearts characters. "You're... empty?" Rose gasped almost inaudibly. "No one inside...!? I-I don't understand..."

"A hollow, moving, talking suit of armor?" Sora mumbled. Riku glared at Alexander. "Alex, I'm guessing there'll be an explanation sooner or later."

Alphonse put on his helmet and stared at them. "This is my punishment for setting foot on holy ground. We made a mistake... and we're paying for it. Both of us are." Kairi glanced at the other brother. "Edward, too...?"

Cray growled. "Grr... You freak! Kill them! Kill all of them!!!" That was the cue. Erica and Rose found someplace to hide, while the others got into fighting stances. Those that wielded weapons summoned them. "Well, if the cat ain't finally out of the bag!" Edward remarked. "Let's get 'em!"

"Time for some magic, guys!" Alex shouted. Sora, Riku, and Kairi nodded. Sora pointed his Keyblade at one cultist and shouted, "_Thundaga_!" A large bolt of lightning struck the cultist, also shocking the others around him. Riku shot a few blasts of dark fire at a cultist with his Dark Aura ability. Kairi, not really having any magic, just slashed at a few cultists with her Keyblade. She was getting better, but slowly. Alex blocked a couple of bullets with a Reflega spell, using the reversed damage to knock the cultists back.

Even then, there were still many cultists left. Edward got an idea. "Over here, Al!" he shouted after kicking away another cultist. Alphonse nodded. "Coming!" he shouted, running over to Edward.

Edward stepped onto Alphonse's hands, and Alphonse boosted him up into the air. The young alchemist clapped his hands together, and an orange light started to shine from it. "Here we go!" he shouted as he fell back down to the ground and landed, placing his hand on the ground. Out of nowhere, large stone fists began popping out of the ground, punching the cultists and doing massive damage all over the place.

It effectively knocked the rest of the cultists out. The stone fists crumbled, and the party looked over the damage. Rose just stood there, shocked. Riku faced her and smirked. "So there's your god at work."

Rose shook her head slightly. "No! This must be some mistake! Father Cornello couldn't possibly give such orders..." Alphonse sighed. Erica groaned.

"Father Cornello is a compassionate man," Rose insisted. "He reached out to me and saved me when I became alone in this world! And Father promised me that he would bring Cain – my love – back to life! He promised me!!!"

Erica just about lost it. "Oh, for cryin' out loud... You see all this and you **still** want to believe in your fake prophet?"

"But..." Rose tried to respond, but her voice trailed off. Edward gave her a meaningful look. "Rose... do you have the courage to see the truth?"

* * *

Alphonse closed his armor up, and nodded at Edward. "Okay. I'm ready, Ed." The plan had worked; Rose was nowhere to be seen. Edward nodded back. "Alright. There's gotta be a way to go farther into the temple." He said this because they had already tried the other doors in the prayer hall. Those doors were sealed. "Let's look around," Edward suggested. 

Erica grinned. "I think I know a way!" she shouted, running over to one side of the hall. Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Alexander rolled their eyes. Erica apparently wasn't good at subtlety.

Erica pointed at a raised platform, with a ladder reaching up into the balcony above them. Alphonse nodded. "I think we can go up that ladder." Erica grinned at him. "Of course!"

Edward stood on Alphonse's feet again, and Alphonse gave Edward a boost up to the platform. From there, Edward helped everyone else up too. They all climbed the ladder and walked to the other end of the balcony. They found a door there, and they walked through it.

The party entered a long hallway, stretching further east into the second floor of the temple. "Cornello must be down this hall," Sora supposed. Edward grinned devilishly. "The prophet's a _verrry_ busy man; I don't wanna keep him waiting – let's hurry up and pay him a visit!" Erica giggled foolishly, making Alex groan.

More cultists waited for them down the hall. Unfortunately for the enemies, the party vastly surpassed them in battle. Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Alexander had already been through one adventure, and had earned plenty of experience along the way. In gaming terms, they had started the game at a rather high level. Edward and Alphonse were no amateurs either. Edward's quick transmutations, especially, helped out in turning the tide if they got surrounded.

They rounded the corner and walked through the large door to the west hall. Edward went around another corner and stopped. There was pretty much nothing else in the hallway. "Now that's odd," Edward remarked. "Where'd all the henchmen go?" He started to walk forward, but Riku stopped him. "Wait a minute, Edward," Riku advised him. He pointed at some red lights on the walls. It was hard to tell at that distance, but it looked like they were... machine gun turrets. Judging by the red lights, they were most likely automatic, and activated by some kind of motion sensor.

"It looks like some sort of booby-trap," Alphonse noted. Edward seemed rather impressed. "Wow. The prophet must be keeping some hardcore secrets in here. Let's see what I can do..."

Edward walked toward a torch that was just out of sight of the first turret. The young alchemist clapped his hands together and placed them on the torch. In a large flash of blue sparks, it turned into a large cannon. Edward jumped right behind the cannon and manned it. Taking careful aim, he shot a cannonball at the first turret. A large explosion occurred upon contact, and all they could see what a broken turret when the smoke cleared. Edward grinned, and started shooting at the other turrets. It wasn't long before all of them had been destroyed. The path was now clear.

They walked through the following passage, finding a stairway down into the west hall of the first floor. The party noticed a green statue on their left up ahead. The statue was of a tall, bearded man wearing a toga, and carrying a large staff with a sun symbol on the top end. Suddenly, the statue started to walk forward, slowly turning toward the party.

Kairi gasped. "The statue's moving!" Edward rolled his eyes. "Another one of the prophet's 'miracles', I guess..." Alphonse ignored his brother's remark. "What do we do?" he asked. "It doesn't look like we can beat those things through normal attacks." Edward nodded. "They do look hard," he replied, "but they're also on the slow side. We'll just have to use that to our advantage."

The statue slowly walked toward them, raising its staff to bring it down on one of the six fighters. Erica ran away and hid behind the door they had just came through. Edward waited until the statue started to bring its staff down... Then he spun to one side, the staff's sun symbol cleaving into the ground where he'd been a second ago. Edward slammed the palm of his right arm into the statue's side. There was a loud banging sound, and the statue was pushed back quite a bit. A few more rounds of this tactic, and the statue shattered into small boulders.

The party stood in the center of the two intersecting hallways. Three more statues from each other direction suddenly became mobile, and they were quickly surrounded. "Aw, man," Sora muttered. "There's more of them." Alphonse glanced at them. "It won't be easy fighting them one by one..." he pointed out.

Edward shrugged. "Yeah, I'll use alchemy to finish them off!" As the statues slowly approached them, Edward ran toward a small urn, and clapped his hands together. He quickly placed his hands on the urn, and it turned into a small spherical bomb. Edward paused, and transmuted the bomb again. This time, it appeared as a bunch of dynamite. Edward picked the group of explosives up, grinning. "That's better."

Edward quickly lit one of the bombs and shouted, "Watch out!" He hurled the lit explosive at one statue. When the dynamite hit the ground, it promptly exploded, and the damage made the statue crumble into small rocks. He started throwing more dynamite... which turned out not so well. While a lot of them were on the mark, a few managed to find their way into the fighters' paths.

Alex had the misfortune of having one land a couple feet away from him. Well... a simple Elixir took care of the damage that followed, but Alexander's mood wasn't healed in the least. Erica couldn't help but chuckle at Alex's slightly charred spiky hair. (Alex wasn't mad that it was burnt; the fact that it had remained spiky still ticked him off a bit.)

The party continued to the egress through the next door. Edward suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Hey, wait... what's that funny smell? Something sweet... and sour..." Erica suddenly paled.

"Smell?" Alphonse repeated in confusion. Then he paused. "Hold it, Ed. What's that black thing over there? Is it a puddle?" Everyone looked at the spot Alphonse indicated. There was a small black circular puddle on the ground, and Alex could've sworn that there was a faint red aura around it.

"Puddle?" Sora muttered, staring at the strange obstruction. Half-joking, Edward remarked, "It's not like it's been raining inside, or the maid's been cleaning the temple hallways..." Erica began to make some faint, high-pitched, incoherent noises.

"I don't know..." Alphonse replied. "And another thing... Doesn't it feel like someone's watching us?" Edward sighed. "Now you got me paranoid."

Riku nudged Alexander. "Can you feel it?" Riku asked. Alex barely nodded. "The darkness surrounding this hall... it's most likely the..."

Erica suddenly snapped, in the metaphorical sense. "Of course someone's watching us, you idiots! It's the Golems, for Pete's sake!" With that, she started running toward the door, leaving the others confused, but wary. Erica running away meant that there was a battle waiting to happen.

Suddenly... _something_ stuck its head out of the "puddle." It looked around for a second, then popped out of the dark ring, with its entrance disappearing under it. It was only a foot tall, and completely black. It was apparent that this creature wasn't organic. It had bright round eyes, and a red transmutation circle on the top of its large, round, smooth head. The head made the creature look rather top-heavy, because it's body and limbs were rather thin by comparison. It had no hands or feet.

"Waaaagh!" Edward screamed in a disgusted tone. "What are these things?"

"New type of Heartless?!" Sora demanded, summoning his Keyblade. Alex shook his head. "No, these are..."

"Eeek!" a scream came from behind them. Everyone looked, and saw Erica in front of a bunch of small dark figures. These also had bright round eyes and large heads, but these had claws and less scrawny bodies. It was definitely familiar. Alex groaned, his Lockshield appearing in dark smoke. "Here's our Heartless. Right on cue." Riku nodded and summoned his Keyblade as well, along with Kairi. Edward and Alphonse faced the small Golems, while the Kingdom Hearts crew faced the Heartless. Erica stood between the two groups of fighters, totally defenseless.

"M-monsters!" Alphonse exclaimed, glancing between the two groups of abominations. "Ed!" Edward nodded. "Stay sharp! It looks like they're all comin' for us!"

With that, the battle began. The only Heartless that managed to appear were Shadows, so those were taken down relatively easily. Relatively, as in relation to the Golems. They were surprisingly nimble, even if they only had one attack. They would slam their large heads into whoever they were attacking, knocking the victim back a long way. Not only that, but those Golems had quite a bit more health than the Shadows, so they lasted much longer.

But they were obviously first level creatures of their kinds, so they were defeated with little injury in the long run. The Shadows faded away into darkness, but the Golems dissolved into the ground, leaving behind a small mound of mud.

"Well, that's wasn't that bad," Alphonse admitted. "But I wonder what they were?" Eyes turned to Erica. "You seemed to recognize them, Erica," Alphonse added. "Do you know?"

Erica slowly nodded, paused, then shook her head. "I know they're called Golems... but I'm not really sure _exactly_ what they are. I never really... looked into it." Alex rolled his eyes. Erica only played the game for the sake of playing an anime-based game. She didn't really bother to figure out the minute details, like Alexander had done for Kingdom Hearts II on occasion. That's why he had made so many explanations; he had studied that much.

Edward shook his head, grumbling irritably. "I've never seen creatures like those before. They obviously weren't human, but they didn't look like any sort of animal..." He glanced at the Kingdom Hearts crew. "What were those other ones that you guys fought?"

"Those are Heartless," Alexander started, feeling an explanation coming on. "When the heart – the proverbial heart, not the organ – is removed from the body and soul, the darkness takes it and turns it into one of those."

Edward was confused. "The... proverbial heart?" Alex shrugged. "It's a long explanation, and I don't think any of us have the time."

"Could those... Golems have been the product of the Philosopher's Stone, too?" Alphonse wondered aloud. Sora quickly asked, "The Philosopher's Stone? What's that?"

Edward shrugged. "Back at ya. It's a long explanation, but we don't have the time." He nodded at Alphonse. "Anyway, that must be it. Cornello must have made those inky-black monsters. Man, I hate tasteless transmutations."

Alphonse seemed to look away a little. Both Alexander and Erica knew what his reaction was. Edward's remark had come across as rather ironic, because tasteless transmutations were obviously his forte.

Edward glared at the path ahead. "Well, we can clear that up when we meet Cornello." Kairi nodded. "Let's hurry." The party started running. Right before Erica went through the door, she looked back to see a bright green figure floating in the air where they had previously stood. The figure seemed to be female. It had blue-green scales all over its body. Bright green hair flowed freely behind its head, defying gravity along with its body, and its left eye shone a bright red. Erica shuddered, and resumed running, trying to catch up with the party.

* * *

Other than that, the rest of the path was rather uneventful. Uneventful, if you ignore the short bouts of fighting that occurred in the hall. One way or another, the party arrived at a large door with the familiar sun symbol engraved on it. 

Edward looked up at it and grinned. "This must be the room that Rose told us about – where we could find the prophet. I guess it's finally time to have a face-to-face chat with the grand high windbag himself."

Alphonse knew what a "face-to-face chat" translated to in Edward's mind. So he quickly chided him, saying, "Now, be on your best behavior, Ed. We should watch his moves, and–" Edward cut him off. "I know, I know. He is the prophet, after all. I'll be good." With doubtful looks on their faces, the rest of the party followed Edward through the large door.

They found themselves in a large grand sanctum. Cornello himself stood on a raised section of the floor on the other side of the huge room. "Welcome to our sacred temple," he greeted them with practiced kindness. "What would a State Alchemist want here? Have you come to hear a sermon?"

Edward glared at him. "I don't have time for sermons from a con man! Your ring – it's the Philosopher's Stone, isn't it? I'll put this as simply as possible – hand it over!"

Alphonse sighed. He had held out some small hope that Edward would keep his promise of _"I'll be good."_ He shouldn't have bothered.

Cornello seemed to drop the kind act, and his expression suddenly became a sneer. "Hm. So the State Alchemist sees through everything..." He held up his hand, displaying the ruby ring. "Indeed! The legendary alchemic amplifier is in my hands," he declared.

"We've been searching for ages," Edward explained. "We'll keep quiet about your swindles if you hand over the stone, so..." Cornello interrupted him with a cruel laugh. "Hahahaha! That is utterly absurd! Those citizens are my faithful servants. Do you think they'll listen to _you_?"

Alphonse suddenly let out a small gasp, and looked away slightly. Sora summoned his Keyblade in bright light, and pointed it at Cornello. "Spare us the self-righteousness!" Sora shouted at him. "Now I'm starting to feel sorry for all the people who believe in you."

Cornello was a little surprised by the sudden presence of Sora's weapon, but he grinned wider at the accusation. "The believers do not even realize that the miracles are nothing but alchemy. No need to sympathize with such fools. The only use I have for them is merely as pawns for war!"

"Father!!!" Rose's voice suddenly cried out. "Is that... is that true!?" Alphonse knelt down and opened up the front of his hollow armor. Rose quickly climbed out of it and glared at Cornello, who was immensely surprised. "What... Rose!?" Cornello exclaimed quietly to himself, at a loss for words. "W-where did you c– ...How?"

Rose had been hiding within Alphonse's hollow armor the whole time. She had heard the entire conversation, including Cornello's confession of his true nature. "Are you saying that you're not going to grant my wishes through your miracles?" she demanded. "Is Cain not coming back from the dead!?"

Cornello grunted. So much for his pawns of war; now he was in check. "...True, I am not a commissary of God. But with this stone, I may have the power to revive your fallen love..."

Rose gasped in surprise. Alphonse, having finished putting his armor back together, panicked. "Rose! Don't listen to him!" Cornello suppressed a grin. "Rose, be a good girl and come to me... I am the only one who can make your wish come true. Remember Cain. Now come!"

Rose didn't say anything, but she slowly walked up to Cornello's balcony and stood beside him, avoiding the gaze of all of those present. Erica groaned. "What an idiot..." she muttered. Alex rolled his eyes.

"Rose..." Kairi muttered, stunned by this turn of events. Riku sighed. Sora looked on with a worried expression. Edward growled in annoyance. Overall, it was clear that things were definitely not looking up.

"I'm sorry, you all..." Rose muttered, just barely loud enough for them to hear, still avoiding their gaze. "But this... this is the only hope I have..." Cornello chuckled, his grin at its widest now. "Heh heh heh. Such a good girl... And now... Perhaps its time to defeat the heretics who threaten my order."

A stone gate to the party's right slowly rose up. Some kind of creature started to walk out of it. Rose gasped. The Kingdom Hearts crew stared at it. Edward kept a steady glare on it. Erica watched in amazement, but Alexander kept his guard up.

Cornello displayed the ring some more. "Quite a powerful stone, as you should well know, boy. For instance, I can easily forge something like this."

"A chimera..." Edward muttered. It had a lion's head, a well as a lion's forelimbs, but the rest of it was reptilian. Rather large reptilian. Alex had to admit that it was a clever combination: Claws and fangs, as well as a sturdy hide. The perfect gladiator beast.

Cornello waved his hand, gesturing at the party. "Go get them, my beast! Rip them to pieces!" The chimera growled, then lunged forward. Alexander readied himself, but then he realized where the chimera was headed. "Erica!" he shouted, glancing toward his defenseless sister. He panicked when he realized that the chimera was too far gone; he couldn't protect his sister in time.

Erica shrieked as the beast lunged at her. But, to the others' surprise, there was instead a clanging sound. Erica looked up, and gasped when she saw the chimera chewing on Edward's right arm. The young alchemist had stepped in to protect her.

The chimera continued to chew through Edward's sleeve, but the boy didn't even blink. This seemed to confuse everyone, with the possible exception of Alphonse, who only looked on... almost knowingly.

"Why are you toying with him!?" Cornello demanded of the chimera, confused and outraged. "I command you, stop playing with your food and tear off his arm!"

The chimera continued to chew on the arm, but in vain. Edward's expression had no emotion. "What's the matter, you poor bastard?" he muttered. "Can't get a good taste?" On that cue, Edward thrust his right foot into the chimera's sensitive underbelly, sending it sprawling onto the floor on the other end of the room, visibly stunned.

Rose just stared at the chimera, incredibly confused. "Rose," Edward hailed her. Rose looked at him as Edward continued. "Don't look away." He reached up for his torn right sleeve, and began to rip it off over his right arm, revealing the metal beneath the cloth. "You need to see what happens... when you try to bring a human back to life. When you cross into God's territory, or whatever the hell it is..."

Everyone else just looked on in shock. "Mechanical limbs..." Cornello muttered. "You're automail..." He began to shout, "I see! Now I understand you! You _are_ the Fullmetal! **The Fullmetal Alchemist**!" Edward's metal right hand clenched into a fist as he glared at Cornello, with a loud clinking sound resonating throughout the entire hall dramatically.

"Mechanical limbs!?" Kairi gasped. Sora stared at Alex. "How is that possible?" he demanded. Alexander gave them a quick summary. "Well, Edward's right arm and left leg were pretty much cut off, so he had to get artificial limbs. There are still nerve impulses coming from the brain, so all one smart mechanic has to do is create a nerve system within the automail that'll respond to those impulses."

Riku nodded. "Well, that part makes sense. I guess the rest is mechanics, though." Alex nodded back solemnly. He didn't completely understand it himself.

Cornello finally regained control of himself. "Well, that does answer a riddle of mine. Why the military would give a pup like you such a stern title: 'Fullmetal'." Putting his grin back on, he continued, "See, Rose, these two miserable boys dabbled with the most forbidden taboo in alchemy – human transmutation!" Rose gasped.

Alphonse lowered his head. "In the process, I lost my entire body... while Ed lost his left leg to the other side."

"The other side...!?" Rose repeated in shock.

"With his left leg gone," Alphonse continued, "Ed transmuted my soul and bound it to this suit of armor – sacrificing his right arm." Edward chuckled. "Heh... the two of us try to revive one dead person, and look at us now..." He glared at Rose, displaying his metal arm for her to see very clearly. "Rose... this is what happens when you try to bring back what's dead. Do you really want to go through with that?"

Rose broke down, unable to make any further reply than just high-pitched gasps. Cornello growled, annoyed by this conversation that was making Rose's faith in him waver. "Grr... Silence! Just shut your mouths! You are simply a sorry pair who stepped on the toes of God and were rejected! But this time, I'll make sure you pay Leto a permanent visit! Mince them, my chimera!"

Everyone's attention turned to the chimera, which had now recovered. It pawed against the ground, preparing for another quick charge. Erica hid behind a pillar at the side of the hall. Edward clapped his hands together, and placed one on the ground. In a display of blue sparks, a lance rose out of the ground, and Edward brandished it.

Edward charged at the chimera with his lance first. The chimera didn't seem to be ready yet, so it tried to back away. But Edward was faster than the chimera could walk backward. The alchemist stabbed his lance into the chimera a couple of times, but it didn't seem to do much damage. Edward then clapped his hands together and placed them on the lance. In blue sparks, it became a double-edged staff, with two long blades jutting out from the handle in the middle. In that same second, Edward spun the lance around in a combo attack, slashing the chimera many times over.

The chimera seemed to have taken more damage now. Sora charged now, swinging his Keyblade. But the chimera was ready this time. As soon as Sora approached, the chimera swiped its large claw at him. The claw caught Sora in the chest, sending him flying back.

Alphonse, Riku, Kairi, and Alexander charged at the chimera as a group. The chimera suddenly stood up on its hind legs and opened its mouth wide. A stream of flame billowed out of its mouth, burning the fighters and sending them back again.

"You're getting nowhere like that!" Erica shouted. "Try something else!" Alexander panicked. "Idiot! Don't call attention to yourself!" But it was too late. The chimera noticed the defenseless girl's voice and charged past the party, heading straight for Erica. Alex had an idea, but he had no time to warn the others.

"Give me strength!" Alex shouted. His head and limbs snapped back, and light shot out from his body. Kairi disappeared in that light. When the light faded, Alexander's clothes were a bright red color. He quickly ran after the chimera, brandishing two Lockshields. This was his Valor Form. In his right hand, he held the Heartless Seal, the original design. In his left, he held the Kingdom Copy, the design of which was a golden color with a silver Disney emblem in the middle. While the Keyblade had keychains, the Lockshield had designs.

The Valor Form gave him increased speed, allowing him to reach Erica before the chimera did... barely. He blocked the chimera's charge with both Lockshields, and he struggled against the beast's strength for a moment. Then Alex brought one of the Lockshields back, then snapped it across the chimera's face, knocking it away. Alexander followed through with the attack, going into a rather long combo. For the finisher, he spun around with both Lockshields, slashing the chimera many times over and throwing it back. Edward came up behind the falling chimera and clapped his hands. "How about _this_!?" he shouted, as a bunch of stone spikes rose out of the ground, bashing the chimera.

The chimera fell to the ground, stunned. Alexander reverted, and Kairi reappeared next to him. Edward and Alphonse were slightly confused by the Drive Form. Cornello just stood in his place, shocked. "H-how could my chimera be defeated!?" he demanded in disbelief. "Grrrr... rrrrgh!" Cornello groaned. "You snotty brats are such a pain!!!"

With that, Cornello turned around and started running up some stairs behind him, which led to a door at the far right. A secret passage. "Wha!?" Edward mumbled, surprised. "Where does he think he's going? You're not getting away from me!"

Edward started running after Cornello, leaving the others behind. "Ed! Hold on–" Alphonse shouted after his brother. Rose came down the stairs and stared at Alphonse. "Wait, please! I still can't believe what you said... How much you had to sacrifice to transmute a life..."

The party turned to face her. Alphonse began to explain, "The basis of alchemy is 'equivalent exchange.' In order to gain something, you have to pay the equivalent price." Rose nodded, slowly taking this all in. "Then, if that's the case..." she inferred. "Both of you have paid a hefty price... You must have gotten your–"

Alphonse averted his gaze. "Our mom was so nice... She was the best. We just wanted to see Mom's face again. See her smile, just one more time." He paused. "But our transmutation was a failure. The Mom that we transmuted... didn't look like a human being."

Rose and the Kingdom Hearts characters gasped at that. Alphonse shook his head, as if to digress away from the past. "We've given up on bringing her back, but Ed still wants to get my body back the way it was before. I want to get Ed's body back, too. But even that's a risk that could cost us our lives."

Rose looked away, shocked by the horror of it all. Alphonse nodded. "This thorny path is our fate... So you see, Rose... This path is not for you to follow." With that, Alphonse began to walk away, following the path Edward had gone.

"Um..." Rose tried to start, but she couldn't find any words to say. She just sighed, taking it all in. The Kingdom Hearts characters glanced at Alexander and Erica. Erica, in turn, glanced at Alexander.

**_So alchemy's not the perfect magic we thought it was,_** Roxas admitted. Riku grunted. "If this universe has laws that allow a person's body to be such a price, yet leave his soul..." he remarked, trailing off. Sora nodded. "Well, their mother must've been really nice, if they wanted to break a law to revive her."

Erica sighed. "Enough of this mushy stuff. Let's get going already!" Alex glared at her, and dragged her out of earshot of Rose. "Look, Erica," he explained harshly. You may have seen this many times before, but for the others it's a first time thing. Give them the courtesy of being able to go through their grief, or whatever they go through. Okay?"

Erica looked away, but slowly nodded. Then she asked, "Hey... how come you are able to use Drive Forms, like in KH2?" Alex grinned, and patted his jacket. "Magical garments. Given to me at about the same time as Sora got his new costume. I can even do Final Form, or Anti Form." He shook his head. "But there's no time for that. Let's catch up with the Elrics before they get too far ahead."

* * *

The entire party entered the secret passage. Down the hall, there were many Leto cultists waiting there for them. "We have orders from Father Cornello!" one of them shouted. "Not one person is allowed to pass beyond this point! We are the shield of the Sun God! We shall not fall back, even if our bodies are to perish!" 

"Did you hear that?" Kairi asked the rest of the party. "What are we going to do?" Edward grinned. "Ever heard of bowling, Kairi?" Alphonse did a take. "Huh? Bowling?"

Edward stepped forward to face the cultists. "So you're not going to budge, huh?" he challenged them. "Well, I've got two tons of steel that's about to say otherwise!" There were several small metal fences in front of him. Edward clapped his hands and transmuted one of them into a large steel ball. With a pause for thought, he transmuted it again. Now the steel ball had spikes. With one punch, he sent the ball rolling toward the cultists.

The cultists were too firm in their resolve to panic, so they ended up getting mowed down by the huge steel bowling balls that Edward sent at them. With that obstacle out of the way, they moved on.

They came to a large door, and they saw that it led to the east hall of the first floor. Edward and Alphonse broke into a run, with the others not too far behind. Edward reached the fork in the hall, and headed toward the right... which led back to the sanctum.

"Not that way, Ed!" Alphonse shouted. "Turn left!" Edward stopped in his tracks, and immediately started running the other way. But in the process, he ended up slamming his face into Alphonse's metal backside. Alphonse and the others had stopped.

Edward clutched his face. "What... are... you... _doing_, Al!?" he stuttered angrily. Alphonse pointed ahead. "Just... look." Edward looked, and did a take. There was a woman standing there in front of the party. She had pale skin, long silver hair, and wore a brown and white dress, with a green cloak. She also had a certain... glow about her, making her seem... inhuman in a way.

"Who... are you?" Sora asked hesitantly. The woman didn't answer. After a moment, she started walking toward them. The others flinched and stepped away, but Edward, his pain forgotten, just stood there and waited for her. Erica had also stayed put, but only because she had seen this before many times.

The woman stood right in front of Edward. Slowly, she held her hand out, which slowly opened up to reveal something on her palm. Edward stared at the woman for a moment, then looked down into her hand. There was a ruby ring there. Edward glanced up at the woman's face again, but she made no motion.

Hesitantly, Edward reached out and picked up the ring. "Careful!" Riku hissed as Edward touched it, but nothing happened. Edward held the ring close to his eyes, inspecting it. Everyone else gathered around him to look at it as well. Edward looked back up at the strange woman. "So what do you want me to do with th–?"

His voice suddenly cut off. The woman was nowhere to be found. Everyone except the Interferences gasped in surprise, looking around for where she might have gone. "Where'd she go?" Edward demanded.

_"Please..."_ the woman's voice lingered in the air around them. _"Stop him... I beg you...!"_ Edward continued to look around, but gave up. The strange figure was gone. "What the hell... was that?" he asked.

Alphonse glanced at Edward. "We weren't... hallucinating... were we?" he wondered hesitantly. Edward shook his head. "No... it was the real thing. I've got the proof right here in my hand."

Alexander shrugged as Edward stared at the ring. "She sure was pretty..." Alphonse remarked. Sora glanced at the strange ring as well. It had a deep red ruby in it, with strange markings on the inside of the jewel. The band had the shape of a dragon, with the head biting the tail that was wrapped around the ruby. "What could this ring be...?" Sora asked, voicing the others' questions.

Riku thought about it. "Do you think this might be the same ring as Cornello's – the one fitted with that thing you called the 'Philosopher's Stone'?" Edward shook his head. "I don't think so. This isn't the Philosopher's Stone. I don't feel any power of the sort."

Alphonse's shoulders drooped slightly. "Oh. Too bad. But I guess that would have been too easy." Alexander shrugged. "Still, it doesn't look like any old ring. The picture inside the gem looks kinda like a transmutation circle. See?" he added, pointing at the jewel.

Kairi looked closely and gasped. "Wow, you're right. I wonder what it's for..." Erica stomped her foot on the ground. "Hey! What are we doing!? We still have to find the prophet!" she pointed out.

Edward nodded, pocketing the ring. "Yeah. Let's look at this ring later. Let's go, guys!" Without further hesitation, the party started running down the hall.

* * *

They reached the temple egress. To the side, there was a large door open. One quick look made it clear that it led to the temple courtyard. "The door's open..." Sora mused. "Do you think he went this way?" 

Alphonse seemed to consider it. "But we don't want to end up outside in the plaza... unless the prophet ditched the temple to go outside." Edward shook his head. "Nah, he's not the type of guy to just turn tail. He must be planning some kinda dirty trick."

Alexander summoned his Lockshield and hefted it over his shoulder. Grinning, he remarked, "But it's no trick if you see it coming a mile away! He has no idea who he's dealing with!"

There was a mutual agreement to that statement, and the party quickly ran out to the courtyard. Cornello stood on a platform above the courtyard, right in front of a green statue of Leto. Edward faced him and grinned. "We finally gotcha, you false prophet! You and your bunk religion aren't going anywhere!"

"Heheheheh..." Cornello chuckled. Then it became an evil laugh. "Bwahahahahaha! Foolish little nose-picker... Blindly chasing after me, only to fall into my trap!"

Edward was a little surprised. "Huh? What trap?" Cornello held up his hand, which had the Philosopher's Stone's ring on it. "Behold... the power of God!!!" A bright red light flashed from the stone.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake a bit. Four tall white statues of Leto in the courtyard started to move, slowly walking toward the party. "Woah!" Edward exclaimed. "The statues are even bigger...!" Alphonse noted.

"Gahahahaha!" Cornello cackled. "Do you understand my power now? Not even a State Alchemist can top the power I possess! Now you will die, and I shall become God Himself!"

Edward shot a deathly glare at Cornello. "You couldn't do a damn thing without the stone, ya third-rate swindler! I'm gonna crush you and your delusions to pieces!"

Alexander brandished his Lockshield and faced the tall Leto statues. "Erica! Find some cover, now!" Erica nodded, and started to run out of the courtyard. But he fell back when she reached the gate. "What the...?" she mumbled, getting up. She placed a hand on the wall, and several hexagonal shapes flashed where she touched.

"Oh, no..." Alex muttered, seeing the barrier. This not only meant that Erica was trapped with them, but a Kingdom Hearts II barrier also meant...

"We have Heartless!" Sora shouted, summoning his Keyblade. Sure enough, Shadows and Soldiers appeared in the courtyard. Riku suddenly summoned his own Keyblade. "Nobodies, too!" Alex suddenly had half a mind to swear loudly, but he refrained from doing so as Dusks began to appear in the courtyard with them.

"Nobodies!?" Edward repeated in confusion. Alex rolled his eyes. "I'll explain later! You and Al focus on the statues! We'll take care of the Heartless and Nobodies!" With that, the battle started.

Alexander dashed over to Erica just as a Soldier was about to attack her. Alex cut it down, and stood in front of his sister, ready to defend her. "Stay close," he ordered her. Then he started slashing wildly at the Dusks that were approaching. Quickly, Alexander spun around them using the Reversal technique, temporarily confusing them. Alex used the bought time to hack and bash the Dusks to a pulp until they disappeared.

Soon enough, all the enemies in the courtyard were gone. Sora, Riku, and Kairi had taken care of the other small fry, and Edward had used a cannon to blow up the statues. Edward faced Cornello again. "Not to be a heathen or anything," he remarked with a smirk, "but I'd say your god's battling 0 for 2."

"Grr... You won't get away with this!!!" Cornello screamed. Edward got back into his fighting stance. "Get your ass down here, ya crook! I'm gonna show you that I'm way out of your league!"

"Cocky little brat... I'm going to kill you!!!" Cornello retorted, jumping down from his platform into the courtyard. The barrier around them came down, and many Leto cultists entered the arena. Edward ran back to his cannon and transmuted it again, reloading its shots. The others focused on Cornello and the cultists. Cornello was surprisingly quick, and he could transmute his cane with the power of the Philosopher's Stone.

He transmuted it into a rocket launcher, and aimed it at Kairi, who was currently slashing a couple of cultists. But before he could fire, a cannonball from Edward's cannon hit him and exploded, sending him flying back and making his weapon revert to the cane.

Alexander focused on protecting his sister, who often ended up surrounded by cultists. The cultists were rather weak in comparison, so Alex was able to handle them by himself. The rest of the party was now able to focus on Cornello.

Cornello swung his cane, knocking a few of his attackers away. Then he transmuted his cane in bright red sparks, and it became a large machine gun. The party was quick to get out of Cornello's path when he started firing. Unfortunately, the bullets were now headed for Alexander and Erica.

Alexander saw the bullets coming, and blocked them with his shield the best he could. Erica suddenly gasped as she was thrown back. Alex whipped around to face her as the firing stopped. "Erica!" he shouted, running over to her.

Erica clutched her right shoulder. One of the machine gun bullets had pierced her there. Alexander clenched his fist tightly around the handle of the Lockshield. "That flippin' little..." he muttered. He turned around to face the so-called prophet. "Cornello!!" he yelled.

Alexander started running toward Cornello, who didn't quite see him coming. "Don't you dare..." Alex muttered, lifting his shield up, "..._ever_ hurt..." He was now close enough for an attack. "...my sister!!" With that, Alexander started a barrage of slashes, hitting Cornello as much as he could, his power fueled by his sudden rage. It was almost like the time when Alex had used Saïx's phantom claymores to break the Nobody's berserk. That rage was all he could focus on.

Alexander jumped back as his mind cleared, and he glared at the weakened Cornello. He glanced back and saw Sora using Curaga on Erica. Well, at least she would be fine.

"Erg... Erggggg..." Cornello groaned from the pain. Edward grinned. "I told ya. We're way out of your league." Cornello slowly shook his head. "I won't... I won't give up... As long as I have the stone, I can make as many miracles as–"

Cornello tried to use his ring again. But the second he did, there was a bright flash. "What!?" he shouted. He fell to his knees, clutching his arm. "**Aaaaaaaagh**!!!" he screamed. Everyone gasped. His arm had become hideously deformed. There were tubes, enlarged arteries, and those sorts of creepy stuff sticking out of his engorged arm. "My arm! **My arm**!!"

Edward got over his surprise, quickly analyzing what had happened. "Shaddup! It's just a rebound! What's the big deal if you lose an arm or two? Just let me see the stone! The stone!!!"

Sora tapped Alexander on the shoulder as Edward and Alphonse ran toward Cornello to inspect the ring. "What did he mean by a rebound?" Sora asked. Alexander shrugged. "I think it's what happens when alchemic amplifiers go out of control. It makes random and usually painful transmutations to the user. It would make sense, because Cornello was able to ignore the law of equivalent exchange for a while. But now that it went out of control, he's now basically paying that price. At least, I think that's how it goes, more or less."

Alphonse gasped. "It shattered..." Indeed, the deep red stone had fallen from the ring, laying on the ground in pieces. "Wha...!?" Edward mumbled, quite shocked by the news. "The Philosopher's Stone is supposed to be flawless! How could it ever break!?"

"Easy," Erica remarked, rubbing her tender shoulder. "It was a fake." Alphonse could only nod. "Yeah... a fake..."

* * *

The party stood on the other side of the courtyard, watching Cornello struggle with his deformed arm. "Just another wild goose chase..." Edward remarked. Glancing at Alphonse, he added, "And here I thought we could finally put you back in the flesh again." 

Alphonse shook his head. "No, Brother, you'll be the first we'll fix. That automail's so tough on you." Edward sighed. "Nothing left to do... but start the search again."

"You never should have come here..." a voice accused them. It was Rose, on the verge of tears. "Father Cornello gave us hope. What right did you have to take that away?" Suddenly, she fell to her knees and started to cry. "Rose..." Sora mumbled.

"What do I have to live for, huh?" Rose demanded amidst her sobbing. "Now that I know Cain won't come back... You tell me that, Ed!!!"

Edward shook his head. "You'll have to decide for yourself. Walk on your own. Move forward. You've got a good, strong pair of legs, Rose. You should get up and use them." Rose continued to cry, not replying to Edward's words, though it was apparent they had struck her. With that, Edward began to walk away, leading the others away with him. It was time they left Lior.

As they approached the courtyard's gate, Edward suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute..." Alphonse stopped as well, along with the others. "Huh? What's wrong?"

Edward seemed deep in thought. "That stone might have been fake... But I wonder how Cornello got his hands on it." Riku grunted. "Hm. Good question. We could always go back and drag it out of him..."

"**WHA!? AAAAAGH!!!**" The scream came from behind them. Everyone quickly turned around and saw Cornello. Edward did a take. "...What the hell!?"

Cornello was sinking into a black swirling mass, and large black arms were pulling him down into it. The arms had red transmutation circles on them, much like the small Golems from earlier had. As the party ran toward him, the arms slowly pulled Cornello deeper and deeper into the black mass... until it had consumed him completely. Alexander suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Cornello's life... had just been snuffed out.

"Wha... what... what was that?" Edward demanded as soon as he could make a coherent sentence. "What just happened to him!?"

Erica suddenly gasped. On the platform in front of them was the strange scaly woman Erica had seen before in the temple's egress. The mysterious woman made a strange long sound, like a cross between a growl and a hiss.

"Ed! Be careful!" Alphonse warned his brother out of habit, his voice wavering in fear. Edward stared at the mysterious woman. "Did you... did you do that?" he asked her hesitantly.

The figure made another strange hissing sound. Then a green light appeared under her, and she started spinning around, melting into the light. Within a few seconds, she had completely melted away.

"Wha...!? Wait a second!!!" Edward shouted. But the mysterious woman had disappeared. Kairi mumbled, "She... she melted away..." Erica rolled her eyes. "No duh, Sherlock."

Alexander glanced at his sister. **_Is it just me, or did it look like Erica had seen that woman before? And not just through the game?_** Joumae asked. Sora, Riku, and Kairi heard this, but they made no apparent moves. But there was some suspicion toward Erica from the quartet now.

Edward shook his head. "I don't understand any of this... What the hell is goin' on here!?"

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	4. A Time for Explanations

Chapter 3  
A Time for Explanations

Alex raised an eyebrow. "You take spares along with you?" Alphonse nodded as he pulled out a red trenchcoat from his hollow armor and passed it over to Edward, who put it on. "We have to," Alphonse replied nonchalantly. "You wouldn't believe how quickly he goes through them."

Erica snickered as they walked out of the city of Lior. "Well, that does explain why you tore it off," she admitted. "That's always been a riddle of mine..."

Edward gave her a strange look. "Huh? Why would that have _always_ been a riddle for you?" Alexander and the Kingdom Hearts crew squirmed uneasily. Edward continued. "Did you already know I was going to do that?"

Alexander slapped his forehead automatically. In hindsight, that had probably been a bad move. In his defense, though, Erica's remark had been an even worse move. In any case, attention was immediately drawn to Alex.

"Hmm..." Alex groaned when he realized his mistake. "I guess it's finally the time for explanations, isn't it?" There was a mutual agreement. Alex sighed. "Alright, which questions came first?"

Edward glanced at Erica. "Well, one of my first questions was how Erica already knew about all this stuff in advance." Erica shrugged. "Like I said, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Riku shook his head. "No, I think it's better if they're told. Even if it sounds far-fetched, it's the truth, and the only explanation." Sora nodded, and turned to Alex. "Alexander's pretty good at explanations. Why don't you give it a shot?"

They now had the Elrics' complete and undivided attention. Alex sighed as they walked on through the desert. "Alright... Well, firstly, you should be told that there are many other worlds besides this one."

Edward was skeptical already. "Other worlds? How is that possible?" Alex anticipated this, so he summoned his Lockshield. "Because something like this can't possibly exist in _this_ world, now can it? You're an alchemist; you should be well aware of the laws of this world. And the summoning of such a weapon with these properties simply shouldn't fit those laws, right?"

Edward scowled. "I'll admit I don't have an explanation for those weapons yet. You called them the Keyblades and the Lockshield?" He paused. "What were those techniques you used earlier? Sora's command of thunder, Riku's fire technique, and the strange reflective skill of yours. And what was that when you changed form?"

Alex grinned. "Magic. Nothing else to it. Sora used a magic called Thundaga. Riku's technique was called Dark Aura, and it's a skill specific to him. Mine was called Reflega, where I can create a barrier, and return the damage inflicted on that barrier against my enemies around me. There are other spells: Firaga, Blizzaga, Magnega, and Curaga."

Sora nodded. "Curaga is a healing spell, obviously. I used it to heal Erica's gunshot wound, remember?" The Elrics looked back at Erica, who hesitantly nodded. "Well, then it has to be magic," Alphonse reasoned. "No kind of alchemy can heal a wound like that instantly."

Alex went on. "Anyway, that form change earlier was called a Drive. A special ability that belongs to these garments right here," he explained, tugging at his jacket for emphasis. "Sora's garments have the same magical properties. Anyway, the Drive is when I combine with one of my comrades to increase my power. The form you saw was Valor Form, one of the five Drive Forms. It's one of the basic Forms, and it focuses on attack power and speed. I used it because I knew the speed boost would help me fight off that chimera."

Edward slowly nodded. "Alright, so there are other worlds out there, from which this 'magic' stuff comes from. How does that have any bearing on Erica's little 'premonitions'?"

Alexander rubbed the back of his neck. He was getting to the hard part. "Well... the fact remains that all of these worlds in this universe are derived from... video role-playing games. Video games from our universe, the real world Erica and I came from."

Ignoring the Elrics' reactions, he went on. "Erica and myself are what we call Interferences. Basically, someone whose heart somehow connected with the game's content, essentially turns it into a reality, and ends up getting sucked into the game. Naturally, the Interference usually makes slight changes to the storyline."

Edward was shocked. "You... you mean we're just part of a game? And you all are these 'Interferences'?!"

Alexander shook his head. "No... This world is a reality now, thanks to Erica. The game only covers a very small portion of the events here. What your lives were in the past is still your own, with no change on anyone's part."

Alex looked back at his comrades. "Oh, and my friends here aren't Interferences in the literal sense. They're actually from a separate _game_ universe." Kairi nodded. "We're actually from a different game, called Kingdom Hearts II. It was the universe Alexander entered first."

Alphonse nodded slowly. "I think it's starting to make sense... You're able to use magic and all that because you're following laws that belong to a different universe, which allows that kind of stuff to happen."

Edward furrowed his brow. "So... basically... you and Erica know about these details because... you played through our game before?"

Erica nodded vigorously. Alex sighed. "Well... there's something else I should mention. This game we've entered... it's actually based on an anime and manga series. Called Fullmetal Alchemist, I might add. Erica... is a fangirl of that series. She's played the games many times over, so she has it pretty much freakin' memorized."

Edward chuckled. "I'm flattered. What about you, Alexander? Are you also a fanboy?" Alexander did a take. "Huh? What? No, of course not!" he spluttered angrily. "It's a good series, but I don't draw half-baked transmutation circles on paper in my spare time! And yes, I've played through the game, but that's because the game has pretty interesting gameplay!"

Sora chuckled. "He's not a fanboy. He's a dedicated gamer." Alexander growled incoherently in response. "Thank you, Sora," he muttered sarcastically.

Alphonse mulled it over. "So you and Erica are Interferences that made this universe a reality. And Sora, Riku, and Kairi accompanied you into this game." He paused for a moment. "Wait, if Erica was the Interference that entered this game, why did you come here?"

Alexander glanced back at Erica. "Unlike Kingdom Hearts II, this game has elements that can be incredibly deadly in reality. I came here to make sure she made it through alive. My friends from Kingdom Hearts were kind enough to lend their assistance. There's plenty of fighting in this game, so we'll need help to get through this."

* * *

The party walked on in a relative silence. Soon, they had left the desert and were starting to walk along an actual road. "Where are we going?" Kairi asked the Elrics. 

"East City," Edward replied. Alphonse nodded. "We were sent to Lior to investigate the Philosopher's Stone. Too bad it was a fake..." Edward scowled for a moment. "Yeah, the jackass Colonel at East Headquarters is not gonna be too nice about that..."

"Oh, right!" Sora exclaimed, bringing attention to himself. "You didn't explain what the Philosopher's Stone was!" Alphonse nodded. "Right, the Philosopher's Stone. It's a legendary alchemic amplifier. It's supposed to be able to ignore the law of Equivalent Exchange and even bypass the taboo of human transmutation."

"So you need the Philosopher's Stone to be able to return you two to your original bodies?" Riku inferred. Edward nodded. "That's right. It's the only way." He glanced back at the Kingdom Hearts crew. "Alright, we've had our turn. Time for you guys to explain something. What exactly are those creatures that we fought earlier? You called them Heartless and Nobodies."

Alexander smirked. "Maybe it's a good thing we explained the Interference concept to you guys first. My explanation will make more sense this time." He cleared his throat, then launched into the explanation. "Anyway, the Heartless and Nobodies are the enemies we fought in Kingdom Hearts II. Life is made up of the body, soul, and heart. 'Heart', as in the proverbial one: the center of the spirit, so to speak. Anyway, when the heart becomes overwhelmed with darkness, it leaves the body and soul behind. The darkness consumes it, and a Heartless is created."

"The Nobodies are the leftover body and soul of something that became a Heartless. Normally the body and soul fade out of existence, but there are times when the person in question had a particularly strong will. In that case, the body will eventually begin to move with a will of its own, and a 'Nobody' is born. Because they shouldn't have existed in the first place, they technically don't really exist at all." Alex took a deep breath to recover from the long explanation.

Edward took that to be the end of the lecture. "So those Heartless and Nobodies belong to the Kingdom Hearts universe... Wait, why are they here in the Fullmetal Alchemist universe?" Edward grinned at the last few words. Having a whole universe named after his alias sounded really cool to him.

Alex sighed. "A miscalculation on my part, actually. I couldn't get into this world directly, so I had to come in through the Kingdom Hearts universe, so that I could travel between the worlds. It seems that there is a connection formed between the two universes, and that allows those creatures to enter this world."

Sora nodded to confirm this. "That's actually the main reason why we came along. You see, only the Lockshield and Keyblade Masters and those affiliated with them can fight the Heartless and Nobodies."

Alphonse looked a little surprised, but, again, it was hard to tell through the armor. "So... if we fight with you guys, we can fight those enemies?" Alexander nodded.

Erica felt a little left out. "Why are there so many explanations going on!?" she exclaimed irritably. "I can't say a thing without interrupting!" Alex glared at her. "To get them over with now, Erica," he scolded her. "Just have a little more patience. I told you, I'm experienced at giving explanations. Leave them to me."

Edward laughed a little. "You have experience in this kind of thing?" Alex also chuckled. "Yeah... In the first few days of being an Interference, I wasn't very strong. So all I really contributed to the protagonists was information."

Alphonse got an idea. "Let me guess... we can't tell anyone else about you guys being from other worlds?" Riku nodded in agreement. "We should keep at least some degree of world order. Besides, you guys are the main protagonists of this game, right? It's of no concern to anyone else."

Edward nodded slowly. "What about your weapons? Won't people question that?" Sora shook his head. "We usually just let them take it for granted. Who knows; someone might just think it's some kind of alchemy and leave it as that." Edward laughed. "True. I guess we don't need to worry about that, then."

Erica spoke up again. "Hey! There's going to be a lot more fighting going on, so I'll need to fight too!"

Alexander scowled. "For once, she's right. I'm honestly a little sick and tired of her being dead weight while we're doing the work. And constantly watching out for her when she can't defend herself." He sighed. "Unfortunately, we don't have any weapons readily available. And you sure aren't in enough shape for fisticuffs, Erica."

Erica glared at him. Kairi made a suggestion: "Hey, Edward, why don't you transmute Erica a weapon? You made a lance earlier; how about you make one for her?"

Edward considered it. "Well... alright. But let's wait until we actually run into trouble. If there's one thing I don't need, it's an armed and dangerous fangirl within ten yards of me." At that, they all had a hearty laugh at Erica's expense.

The party walked in silence for another good long while. Now the surroundings slowly became a highway, with a large city in the distance. Some dark clouds loomed on the horizon.

Alexander decided to break the silence. "One thing you should keep in mind, Edward," he stated, "is that light and darkness are very real, active forces in the universe. They can be powerful, yet rather subtle too. And with Kingdom Hearts II in the equation here, that's doubly so. So be on your guard, okay?"

Edward rolled his eyes, but fortunately at the front of the group facing away from him. "Hey, I'm the main protagonist of this game, as you say. I don't need you telling me what to do. As far as I'm concerned, the spotlight's mine, okay?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder to grin at him.

Alex couldn't help but grin back. "At least you've got things in perspective." He looked at the city in the distance. "That's East City, right? Looks like we're almost there." Gazing at the dark clouds steadily approaching, he added, "Doesn't look like we'll find much peace there."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	5. Trouble in East City

Chapter 4  
Trouble in East City

The party walked through the streets of East City. A light rain had started to fall from the dark clouds above. "Man, that was a long explanation," Alexander remarked, stretching his arms for emphasis. "And the most challenging."

When everyone gave him an inquisitive look, he quickly explained, "Because I had to explain the Interference concept to someone without a higher authority to back me up." He was, of course, referring to Yen Sid, but only Sora knew that.

They reached the main plaza of the city. "Wow..." Alphonse mused. "It's been a while since we were here in East City."

"Well, there's no reason to come here – unless they drag us in for some reason or other," Edward muttered. Alphonse nodded. "But it's rare for us to get a summons from the colonel himself. I wonder what's up."

Edward shrugged. "Ahh, it's probably about Lior..." With a chuckle, he added, "I mighta gone a little overboard with that one." Everyone else did a take. "'A little'!?" Erica scoffed. "That was **way** overboard, Ed."

"Oh, well," Edward sighed, gesturing toward a large facility on the other side of the plaza. "I guess we'll face our fates soon enough once we get to East Headquarters."

The party walked down the street and approached the headquarters' gate. Two military officers walked out of the gate and approached a black car parked along the sidewalk in front of it. The officers walked up to the vehicle, and Erica suddenly tensed.

The car suddenly exploded, throwing the two military officers back and forcing the party to shield themselves from the blast. When the shock passed, all that was left of the scene was the burning, ruined car. This attracted attention from all over the plaza.

"What... What was that!?" Sora demanded. "A car bomb, Sora!" Alphonse exclaimed. "Someone blew up that limo!" Edward nodded. "And that was a military vehicle...!"

Everyone started looking around for any clues to the mystery. Alphonse suddenly gasped. "Look, that guy over there..." he said, indicating toward the back of the crowd that had formed. Everyone looked, and saw a tall, gruff looking man with dark hair. He had a wool coat draped over his shoulders, an eye patch over his right eye. The man's face was emotionless as he turned toward an alley and walked away from the scene.

Riku scowled. "Right... the street becomes a warzone and he doesn't even blink. There's something wrong with this picture..." Kairi looked at the alleyway. "Do you think he did it?"

Alexander rolled his eyes. "Well, there's only one way to find out. Come on, guys, we're going after him!" Erica sighed, and followed the others to the back alleys.

* * *

As they entered the alleys, the party saw a couple of mean-looking guys standing in the path. They looked like your average street bandits to Alexander. One of them, wearing a red bandana, mumbled, "Huh? Who are you kids?" 

The party stopped, and Edward grinned at the thug. "Hey, just one question. Did you see a suspicious-looking guy walk through here?" One of the others replied, "A suspicious-looking... C'mon, we ain't got time to play yer stupid kiddie spy games. Take a hike!"

"Blah, blah, blah," Erica retorted. "Well, he had a patch over his right eye, and we're definitely sure he came this way." Edward nodded. "And we've got reason to believe he just blew up a military car."

This seemed to strike a nerve in the man. "...Are these weenies after Bald!?" he muttered almost inaudibly. Alex settled into something of a fighting stance. "Come again? I didn't quite catch that last incriminating mumble."

The guy sighed. "I hate to do this... but this is what you get for stickin' yer noses in where they don't belong..." And with that, the man pulled out a shotgun from behind his back, and the two behind him brandished daggers. Alphonse gasped. "Woah! Ed! These guys are armed!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "First a car bomb, now a shootout. I swear, I'm going to write a very strong letter to HQ about this..." The thug cut him off. "Sorry, pipsqueaks, but it's time for you guys to get a whoopin'. No hard feelings, eh?"

"**PIPSQUEAKS!?**" Erica suddenly shouted. Glaring death into them, she said, "Edward, gimme a weapon!" Edward rolled his eyes. "Comin' right up..." The alchemist clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. In bright blue sparks, a lance rose out of the ground. Edward tossed it to Erica, who fumbled with it.

The rest of them brandished their own weapons. "Good, now it's seven on three!" Alexander yelled, grinning. The battle started quickly. Alex's analysis on the odds turned out to be pretty prophetic on the fight's outcome. The bandits were simply outnumbered. Though Erica didn't count for too much. She swung her lance around experimentally, not having much experience with a weapon. Even with her rage, she didn't get a chance to land a hit. The others had already taken care of the problem.

The fight was soon over. Even though the bandits were much better fighters than the cultists in Lior, they were still outclassed by the party. They all stood there now, staring at the knocked out enemies. Edward grimaced. "Who are these guys, and why are they so eager to fill us with lead?"

"Maybe they're working with the eye patch man," Sora supposed. Riku nodded. "Perhaps some kind of rebel group..." he suggested. After a moment's thought, he asked, "So, what should we do with them?"

Edward shrugged. "Screw 'em – they'll be out cold for a while. We gotta find our mark. He's bound to be close."

So they continued on. A few more bandits stood in their way, but not many. And certainly not many enough to impede their progress much. After a bit of navigating through the back alleys, they arrived at a dead end with a rather interesting feature.

Edward looked down into the manhole. "Hello, what do we have here?" Alexander knelt down and inspected it. "A manhole! Looks like it leads to the sewers. And since the lid's off, it seems it might be where the suspicious guy went." Kairi glanced at the ladder. "The classic sewer escape, huh?"

Erica paled. "I don't wanna go down into the sewers..." Alexander rolled his eyes. "Believe me, it could be worse." Edward grinned. "Well, down the hatch we go. Maybe we can still catch up with him."

Erica slowly nodded. "O-okay... you go first."

* * *

At length, all of the party made their way down the ladder into the sewers' entrance. Edward groaned at the smell. "Egggh... Down here smells like something died – multiple times." Alphonse shuddered. "And it's humid, too... I can already feel the rust creeping over me..." 

Edward grinned. "Don't worry, I'll polish your armor up nice and shiny once–" He suddenly stopped, and pointed to a turn in the path up ahead. "Guys! Over there!"

Everyone looked, and saw the eyepatch man from before turn the corner and disappear deeper into the sewers. Sora grimaced, mainly from the smell. "Looks like our hunch was right." Edward nodded. "C'mon, we don't wanna lose him!"

* * *

They proceeded through the central chamber to the main sluiceway. It was a long room with two long walkways along the sides of the water flow. On the other side of the rapidly flowing water was the man, about to walk through the door to the next room. "There he is! Over there!" Edward shouted. "Hey! Hold up! We need to talk!" He started running toward the chasm of rushing water. "W-wait, Ed!" Alphonse warned him. "The water's moving too fast for us to just dive in!" 

"But he's getting away!" Edward complained. "How did that eye patch guy cross over? C'mon, that isn't fair!" Riku shrugged. "Don't ask me... Hmm, and I'm seeing nothing that you guys could transmute into a bridge or anything."

"Fate's got it in for us today," Edward moaned. "I guess we don't have any other choice but to go back and find another way..."

Erica giggled evilly. "Wait... I have an idea. Let's go back to the entrance. I know a way to open up this path." Alex groaned, but they all followed her back to the sewer entrance.

Erica showed them a pair of steel double doors on the opposite side of the ladder they had come through. The sign on it said "Floodgates." Kairi looked at it curiously. "It says 'authorized personnel only'..."

Edward grinned. "Ah, good. That must mean I'm allowed to go in." Alphonse lowered his gaze. Alex could tell he was brooding, because they were _all_ wondering what Edward could possibly be authorized for.

* * *

The door led to another section of the central chamber. The party followed the path to an area labeled "control room." In the distance, they saw large floodgates with huge torrents of water rushing through. 

"Wow, look at those floodgates..." Alphonse stated, somewhat awed. "Just think of the thousands of gallons of water rushing through there..." Edward raised an eyebrow as he stared at the floodgates. "...Are you trying to make me want to go to the bathroom, Alphonse?"

He suddenly gasped. "Waitaminnit! You know, guys... Maybe if we can shut those gates, we can stop the water flow, and–" Sora nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Then we can cross over to the other side of that channel near the entrance."

Riku smirked. "So the burning question is... how do we get those gates to close?" Erica grinned devilishly. "I know how."

They heard footsteps behind them, and they all turned to find a bunch of thugs behind them wielding weapons. From the looks of their outfits, they were most likely terrorists like the ones on the surface.

"Heheh, who the hell are these sewer rats?" the foremost one joked to his comrades before immediately questioning them. "Hey! Where'd you punks come from? And how'd you get this far in!?"

The Kingdom Hearts crew was already on their guard, but the Elrics seemed rather undaunted by the presence of the enemies. "Ah, perfect timing!" Edward exclaimed. "Hey, pops, how can I get these floodgates to close?"

The terrorist was rather surprised, to say the least. "You got the gall to ask **us**!? This ain't a place for brats like you! Get ready for a beating!!!"

The fight commenced, and more bandits appeared from the other end of the large platform. There were far more enemies now, so even Erica got a little action. Though she mainly spent her time dodging stabs from the thugs' knives, she did land a few whacks with the butt of her lance. Edward transmuted a steel beam on the ground into a machine gun turret, and shot the rest of the terrorists until they were knocked out. Alex noted that this game also restricted bloodshed to a degree, so most bullets merely exploded on contact or something like that.

When the battle was over, the party walked over to the next platform, which had a large piece of machinery in the middle of it. The last terrorist was left on the ground, groaning, "Nyahhh! How can that little microbe have so much moxie in 'im...?"

Alphonse walked up to the machinery, which had many levers and dials and such on it. "I think this console controls the floodgates..." he assumed. Edward looked at it for a few moments, then shrugged. "Hmm, let's see... I'll make an educated guess and start pulling levers until something happens. Eenie, meenie..." Alex slapped his forehead. Erica looked a little confused. "Well, actually..."

The terrorist suddenly stood up. "Raaagh! You can't just barge in here and do anything you want!" He pulled out a grenade and hurled it at the machinery. On contact, the grenade exploded, wrecking the console and making it burst into flames. It was completely unusable now. "Heh-heh!" The terrorist chuckled. "How do you like me now, punks?"

Erica, quite enraged, ran over to him, shouting, "Wha!? Why, you..." She jabbed her lance into the terrorist's gut. With a groan, the enemy slumped to the ground, returning to unconsciousness.

While Alex pulled Erica away before she did unnecessary damage, Edward rolled his eyes at the now flaming piece of junk. "Geez, what was that dimwit thinking... Well, Al? Do you think you can fix it up with alchemy?" Alphonse shook his head. "I don't think so... It looks like a few crucial parts fell through the grate and were washed away..."

Edward suddenly grinned. "Aww, man... Well, in that case, I guess it's up to me!" Sora and the others took a reflexive step back. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but..." Sora said hesitantly, "what are you going to do?"

Erica started giggling uncontrollably as Edward clapped his hands and placed them on the metal. In a bright flash, it transformed into a cannon. Everyone except Erica took another step back. Erica looked on almost fondly as Edward manned the cannon and aimed it carefully at the floodgates. The cannon fired, and the ball hit the chain holding the floodgate up. It quickly broke, and the floodgate fell down into the rushing water, cutting it off. Edward delivered the same blow to the chains of the other three floodgates, creating similar effects.

While vulgar, it had gotten the job done. All four floodgates had now completely cut off the water flow. The main sluiceway was probably clear now. "Ha-ha!" Edward cackled. "How d'ya like **that**? I call that piece 'Cannon in D'! Am I awesome, or what?" Erica cheered. "You're awesome!"

Alexander quickly tugged on the back of Erica's trenchcoat, jerking her off her feet. "You're such a fangirl!" Alex screamed at his sister, who only grinned sheepishly as she stood back up.

You could almost see Alphonse pale. "'Awesome'!? You're crazy, Ed! What were you going to do if the sewers came crashing down on us!?" Edward grimaced. He apparently hadn't thought of that. "Huh? Oh, well, uh... Oh, come on, Al! Loosen up! I stopped the water, didn't I?"

"That's not the issue here!" Alphonse snapped. "I swear, you have a short fuse, and a short temper, and you're so shortsighted!"

Edward quickly snapped back, "Short? Short!? **Short**!? Could you be a little more repetitive, Alphonse!?" Alphonse threw his hands up in defeat. "I'm not getting through, am I..."

Sora quickly broke them up. "Well, now we should be able to cross over that channel." Edward nodded, and grinned. "As they say, all's well that end well. That's for... sewer. Heh."

Alex slapped his forehead and groaned. Edward had tried to make a pun out of "sewer" and "sure", and it had been quite awful to hear. Edward, however, didn't seem to notice the others' revulsion. "Shake a leg, guys! We don't want to let that guy get too far ahead!"

Alphonse did a take as Edward started running, with Erica close behind. "What? Wait! I'm not done talking to you..." But Edward was already gone. "Tsk... ohhh..." Alphonse groaned. Alex sighed. "Siblings..." Alphonse nodded. "Uh-huh..."

* * *

They fought their way deeper and deeper into the sewers. The main sluiceway was clear, but now the terrorists were on full alert, and they simply littered the pathways. Though the Kingdom Hearts crew's magic and the Elrics' alchemy turned out to be rather effective. Magics like Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder could stun sizable groups of enemies. And Edward could transmute all kinds of weapons, ranging from cannons to wrecking balls. Erica and Kairi got less action than the others, due to their inexperience and the lack of any special abilities. 

So they made their way past the materials storage and fought to the depths of the sewers. At one end of a long tunnel, they found a large hall, with yellow paint lining the edge along the wall and metal grating along the floor. Certainly fancier than the stone they'd been walking on. "It looks like there's some sort of facility up ahead," Riku observed.

Edward nodded. "Hmm. Even with this stinky sludge we've been trudging through, I can still smell a bad guy a mile away."

_**A mile away?**_ Joumae mused. **_Please tell me we haven't gotten _that_ far behind..._** Alex groaned. "Shut up, Joumae." Everyone gave him a strange look. "Joumae?" Edward asked. Alexander nodded. "My... dark counterpart. He's essentially the manifestation will of the Lockshield. You see, the Keyblades have wills of their own, so that's why the wielders are called chosen ones. And since my Lockshield is the direct equal and opposite of the Keyblades, it also has a will of its own. But because it was a weapon created from my heart, its will is essentially myself. So enter the dark counterpart, Joumae, who resides in my mind for now."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "And only you can hear him?" Alex shook his head. "No... Sora, Riku, and Kairi can also hear him, because they also have counterparts inhabiting their minds. Sora has Roxas, his Nobody... Kairi has Naminé, _her_ Nobody... and Riku can hear them through the Heartless of Xehanort within his heart, but that guy's not quite conscious."

Edward gave the quartet strange looks, but disregarded it. "Well, tell your counterparts to keep quiet. It'll get confusing if they start chatting during a fight with the bad guy."

Alphonse glanced at Edward. "Ed... I think we should go back and report to the colonel first..." Edward scowled. "There's no time for that! That one-eyed bastard might get away. Besides..." he added with a grin, "I'd prefer the colonel owe us one."

* * *

There was a large room ahead. It looked like a water treatment facility. The strange man from before stood in the center, holding his left arm in front of himself. The Kingdom Hearts crew did a take. The man's left arm was metal, with two barrels at the front, much like a gun's. 

"From sewer rats to sewer brats," the man muttered darkly. "What have I done to deserve this?" Alexander chuckled. "What have you done? I'd say blowing up a military vehicle is a good start," he remarked, pointing at the man. "So your name's Bald, huh? We overhead it from one of your flunkies that we knocked out."

Alphonse gasped. "Ed! Look at that guy's arm..." Edward grinned. "Well! Automail brethren, are we?"

Bald glared at them. "I can see that you're no ordinary brats... but even that won't save you now." Edward smirked back. "I guess there's no denial of you blowing up the military car. Any particular reason you'd like to share?"

"That's none of your damn business," Bald retorted. Alphonse shook his head. "Please, mister. None of us would have to get hurt if you would just surrender quietly." Bald's glare became darker. "Who do ya think yer talking to!? Get ready to die, urchins!"

Edward grinned. "Not willing to negotiate, huh? Too bad, Al, we're gonna have to convince this guy with some good old brute force!" He quickly clapped his hands and placed one on the ground. Out of the alchemic reaction, he pulled out a broadsword. Erica cheered again. "Alright! Sword transmutation!"

"Less fangirl, more fighter, Erica!" Alex shouted as he summoned his Lockshield. The rest of them got into fighting stances with their respective weapons.

Bald whistled, and many of his thugs fell down into the arena. "We'll handle the small fry!" Sora yelled to the Elrics. "You handle Bald!" Edward nodded, and led the charge against Bald. The rest of them focused on the other bandits. Alex shouted, "_Blizzaga_!" and shot a large chunk of ice crystals at one terrorist, freezing him and knocking him out. He then slashed a few more with the sharp edge of his shield. They were used to fighting these types of enemies now, so it was relatively easy work.

Before long, Bald was the only one left. But he was fast, and had a few tricks up his sleeve... literally. His automail arm had a retractable blade, which he was quite versatile with. He could also shoot one shot at a time with his arm, which were rather large, powerful shots.

Edward slashed at Bald a couple times with his sword, then clapped his hands and transmuted the sword into twin katanas. He slashed Bald many times with a spin, and then made one large sweep with both swords, knocking Bald back. After that finisher, Edward's sword returned to normal. Alex ran over to Edward and stared at Bald, who was quickly recovering. "Hey, Ed. Ever heard of a Limit?"

Edward gave him a strange look. "No... What is that?" Alex grinned, and quickly explained that Limits were combination attacks. He also explained the idea he had for one. As Bald readied himself for an attack, Alexander suddenly dashed forward with his Lockshield. Edward clapped his hands and shouted, "Here we go!"

Right before Alex was within range, Edward placed his hands on the ground. The ground beneath them shone for a moment, then slabs of rock shot up from underneath Alexander and Bald, sending them high into the air. Alex had braced himself for it, but Bald was thrown completely off guard. The large slab beneath them crumbled back to nothing.

Alex took the opportunity to slash at Bald many times in a midair combo. With one last slash, he knocked Bald back toward the ground. Edward then used alchemy again to make a column of rock rise from the ground, jabbing Bald right in the back. Added to the momentum given him from Alex, Bald had taken a harsh blow.

Alexander joined his comrades as they faced down Bald. The terrorist slowly stood up, glaring at them. "How... How did I lose to a bunch of kids!?" he groaned. "This doesn't make any sense!"

Edward grinned. "Well, if you must know, it's because your automail's so cheap." Bard growled angrily. "Dammit! This ain't over yet!!!" Edward quickly scoffed, "Ah, give it up already."

Bald looked ready to strike. "You little punk-ass–" Suddenly, they heard a snap, and there was a sudden explosion around Bald. "Gwaaaahhhhh!!" he screamed as he took the full force of the explosion. "Wha!?" Sora mumbled as the smoke cleared. Bald was on the ground, stunned.

"Don't worry, I controlled myself," a voice chided from the entrance. "The damage to your skin isn't nearly as bad as it feels." Erica growled. Edward's shoulders drooped. "Oh no..." he groaned. "Only one guy I know can be that obnoxious..."

A man wearing a blue military coat stepped into the large room. He had short black hair, fair skin, strange white gloves on his hands, and a smirk on his face. "So, off playing in the sewers, were you, Fullmetal? I thought I had ordered you to report to headquarters."

"Shaddup!" Edward retorted in a tired, practiced tone, as if this kind of accusation came usually. "If only your security were as tight as your ass, we wouldn't have had to get involved in the first place."

Bald slowly propped himself up, glaring at the stranger. "Bastard... Who the hell are you!?" he moaned. The man smirked. "You can call me Roy Mustang, or just Colonel. Better yet... Call me the 'Flame Alchemist.' And be sure to remember the pain."

Alex noticed Erica glaring at him, and sighed. Apparently, Erica, being the fangirl, had also absorbed Edward's constant annoyance at the colonel. "It seems our trouble's just getting started..." Alex muttered, hanging his head in defeat.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	6. Old and New Allies

Chapter 5  
Old and New Allies

The Elrics escorted the rest of the party into East Headquarters to meet up with Roy Mustang, who had gone ahead. After all, the brothers had originally been called to East City on a summons from the colonel himself. It was about time they got down to business.

Edward knocked on the door to Mustang's office. "Come in," Mustang replied. Edward opened the door and led the party into the large office. The colonel sat at his desk, and another military officer stood beside it. This man had glasses on, and a much sharper-looking face than the colonel's.

Edward grinned. "Hey! Lieutenant Colonel Hughes!" Hughes grinned back as the party approached the desk. "Hey, guys!" he greeted the brothers. "It's been a while." Alphonse nodded. "It sure has! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Central?"

Mustang rolled his eyes. "You think this doting daddy would willingly come all this way for anything other than a mission?" Hughes nodded. "You got that right." He started to pout, startling the Kingdom Hearts crew. "Oh, I miss my little girl already..."

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Alexander, and Erica sat down on the two couches that were in the middle of the room. After all, this was the Elric brothers' business, and they weren't part of it. Edward sighed, obviously used to Hughes' antics. "So, what's the summons for? I assume it's related to the mission the lieutenant colonel's here for."

Mustang shook his head. "Actually, I summoned you boys here for a different reason." Hughes nodded, then cut in, "But I do have something I want to ask you guys. Let me go first. Have you two heard of a guy named 'Scar'?" Hughes asked. Erica let out a small gasp, but it fortunately went unnoticed by the others, save for Alexander.

Edward and Alphonse glanced to each other, then looked back to Hughes. "Scar...?" Edward mumbled. "No, can't say that I have."

Hughes' expression quickly darkened. "He's a suspected serial killer who only targets State Alchemists. We know nothing of his backgrounds or motives. The only information we have is that he has a big scar on his forehead. Hence, the name 'Scar,' of course. There have recently been several witness accounts here in East City of a man who looks like Scar." He sighed. "And I'm the one in charge of the case. That's why I dragged myself all the way out here.

Mustang shrugged. "Well, the witness accounts aren't all that reliable. There must be hundreds of men with a scar on their forehead."

Edward processed all this information, then smirked. "So what you're saying is that a bunch of rumors are sparking a wild goose chase."

Hughes shook his head sadly. "Aww, don't say that. We could be dealing with the real thing. There just aren't enough leads. For now, we just have to look into every witness account we get. And Edward... Since you're a State Alchemist, too, you have every reason to be targeted by Scar. So watch your back, okay? If you ever feel like you're in danger, let me or Roy know immediately."

Edward shrugged, not taking him too seriously. "Whatever."

Mustang ignored Edward's disregard. "So, on to the main topic of the day... It's not just Scar who's causing a stir in the East... There are others..." Edward sighed. "You mean those terrorists? Sure, they're not very pleasant, but didn't we get them all?"

The colonel smirked. "No, no. Small fries like that are none of my concern." Hughes nodded. "He's talking about the vanishings here in the East. Everyone's talking about it, even the people in Central."

This caught everyone's attention. "Vanishings?" Alphonse repeated. Mustang nodded. "There has been a rash of inexplicable cases from all parts of the East, where people just suddenly vanish. One village lost its entire population – overnight, I might add. Investigations are turning up nothing. Locals are starting to complain. They're scared out of their minds. Now we're getting rumors like 'people are getting sucked into the ground,' or 'the monsters did it.' There are more like 'their hearts were ripped out from their chests.' It's ludicrous."

This new information was sounding rather familiar in a way. Sora looked up suddenly. "Hearts ripped out?" he repeated aloud. Edward also seemed to be in deep thought. "Monsters..."

"Since you boys are on the road," Mustang continued, "I was hoping you might have caught wind of something. Hence, the summons." Hughes smirked at them. "So, any of this ringing any bells?"

Erica began to chuckle nervously. "Boy, does it ever..." Mustang and Hughes glanced at the other members of the party. "I've been meaning to ask you, Fullmetal," Mustang remarked. "Who are your companions here? You allowed them to enter the headquarters under your escort, so they can't be just people you picked off the street."

Alexander stood up, brushing himself off. "We met the Elrics in Lior. I'm Alexander, and this is my sister Erica. Those are my friends Sora, Riku, and Kairi."

Alphonse thought about Hughes' question. "Anyway, there was that incident in Lior..." Edward nodded. "Yeah. We were attacked by monsters when we were in Lior..." Mustang suddenly looked intrigued. "Monsters, you say..."

Erica rolled his eyes. "Yeah, monsters, you nitwit." Alex quickly shushed her. "Erica... please, for our sakes, shut up."

"We're serious," Edward insisted. "Inside this guy named Cornello's temple. Our friends here fought them alongside us." Alphonse nodded in agreement. "We actually thought Cornello might have created those monsters himself..."

"Cornello... in Lior?" Mustang repeated. "Isn't he the so-called prophet of Leto?" Edward shook his head. "Nah, he was a faker. He was just using the Philosopher's Stone to perform his 'miracles' and hoodwink the town."

"You mean to tell me that this prophet had the Philosopher's Stone in his possession?" Mustang quickly demanded. Alphonse shrugged. "Well, it turned out the stone was fake. I mean, it had some powers, but it cracked and fell apart..."

"A fake Philosopher's Stone, eh?" Mustang repeated again. "It was probably what we refer to as the 'crimson stone.'" Hughes scowled. "Yeah, I saw the reports too. It's apparently going around as an amplifier for transmutations."

Edward did a take. "'Going around'? You mean there's more than one of those fake stones!?" Mustang shrugged. "But a fake is a fake, and it's very unstable. It frequently creates a rebound back on the person who's transmuting."

Hughes sighed. "Somebody must be making them, but whether it's an individual or a group, we have no idea." Alphonse lowered his gaze in awe. "Wow... Even if we get our hands on one, we shouldn't use anything that dangerous." Edward nodded. "Good point."

Hughes thought about it. "But if these monsters really exist, maybe we should conduct an investigation on this Cornello guy." Mustang nodded in agreement. "He's still in Lior, right?"

Edward grimaced. "No... He was killed. He was sucked into the ground right in front of our eyes." Mustang raised an eyebrow. "Fullmetal, you're not regurgitating the same rumors I just told you... are you?" Riku quickly stood up. "No, we were there at the scene as well. It happened right before our eyes."

Alphonse paused for a moment, then said, "There was a strange woman nearby, and we assumed it was her doing... But we don't know anything for sure. And then as soon as Cornello was gone, the woman melted away into the ground as well."

Hughes' scowl went another notch deeper. "Melted away, huh...?" Mustang grunted.

Edward suddenly dug into his pocket. "Oh yeah, that reminds me... Colonel, what do you make of this ring?" He pulled out the mysterious ring they had received in Lior and showed it to Mustang.

"...What's this?" Mustang asked. Edward glared at him, as if it should be obvious. "I just told you, it's a ring."

Apparently trying not to smirk, Mustang quickly remarked, "I'm sorry... but I cannot accept a gift like this from another man." Alex slapped his forehead, and the rest of the quartet groaned.

"Aaaaaaaagh!!!" Edward screamed, utterly annoyed now. "It's not a gift, you moron!" Hughes also got into the joke. "Oh, so you're giving it to a girl, huh? You're blossoming at an early age, shrimp!" Edward's glare quickly shifted to him. "That ain't it either, and don't call me a shrimp!" he snapped.

Mustang gave up the joke and inspected the ring. "It looks like a normal old ring to me. Is there something special about it?"

Edward faltered. "Yeah, well... No, if you've never seen it before, then it's nothing. Just forget it." Alphonse sighed.

Hughes hummed to himself. "Hm. Something's fishy here, and it ain't cod." He suddenly gasped. "Wait a minute! You aren't planning on wooing my daughter from an early age, are you?"

Erica groaned loudly. Hughes' daughter was only a couple years old. That was the joke.

Edward grimaced. "**Excuse** me?" he muttered. Hughes' tone suddenly became deadly serious. "Roy, let's grill this shrimp. I'll get the skewers..." And Roy, without changing his expression in the least, added, "And I'll provide the flames."

Alphonse looked down on Edward. "How could you, Ed?" he demanded, also in on the joke. "Trying to win her favor from the age of two... You start early, don't you?"

Kairi chuckled. Alex also threw in, "I've heard of guys in their forties dating teenagers, but this is ridiculous!" Erica smacked him upside the head, really ticked off at the humiliation her obsession was suffering.

Edward quite metaphorically exploded, screaming, "**SHADDUP!!!**"

The mirth subsided, and the situation returned to normal. As Edward quickly pocketed the ring, Mustang stated, "Well, all jokes aside, I think we were right to call you boys in." Hughes nodded. "Yeah. Now we know for sure that these monsters exist. That ought to help our investigations." He looked back at the rest of the party. "If there's anything the rest of you want to contribute, we'd appreciate it."

Sora nodded at Alexander, and stood up. "Well, you said earlier that there was a rumor about some people getting their hearts ripped out?" Mustang nodded. "Sora, is it? That's correct. One account detailed a black creature sticking its claw into its 'victim's' chest, and pulling out a bright heart, while the rest of it faded away to nothing. It's far-fetched, but it's the most detailed account we have."

Sora sighed. "Those are called the Heartless. They aren't the same as the monsters who've been sucking people into the ground." Riku grunted. "They're somewhat of a... universal problem. They steal the hearts of people, and create even more Heartless."

Hughes raised an eyebrow. "Universal problem?" Kairi nodded. "You see, the five of us are actually from a different world. We've been fighting the Heartless and the Nobodies." Alexander sighed. "The Heartless are the stolen hearts of the victims. The Nobodies are the leftover body and soul."

Mustang glared at Edward. "Another world? Heartless and Nobodies? Fullmetal, are you believing all this?" Edward nodded. "Believe it, Colonel. These guys, with the exception of Erica, have fighting abilities and weapons that don't belong in this world. It's no alchemy, and the only explanation is to say that it's magic. We also fought those Heartless and Nobodies in Lior, as well as the strange Golems who've been sucking people into the ground."

With a sigh, Hughes remarked, "Well, I have no reason to doubt you guys... But man, it sounds like we're getting into a bigger problem than we first thought." Shrugging, he added, "But that does help us in our investigations, Sora. Now we know what we're dealing with."

Edward smirked. "Well then, I guess you owe me one big time, Colonel." Mustang grimaced. "...The thought of having to owe you one gives me the creeps. What is it you want?"

"That's my colonel!" Edward shouted with a grin. "Do you know any alchemists around town who specialize in biological transmutation?"

"Biological transmutation..." Mustang repeated. "There is a specialist on chimera synthesis who lives in the city – Shou Tucker. He successfully synthesized a talking chimera two years ago. He was certified, and dubbed the 'Sewing-Life Alchemist.'"

Edward did a take. "...A talking chimera?" he gasped. "You mean he made a chimera that talks? Like a person?" Mustang nodded. "So it seems. I wasn't in charge then, so I haven't seen it myself. Why don't you pay Shou a visit?"

* * *

The party arrived at Tucker Manor, which was pretty far from the East Headquarters. "Here we are," Alphonse announced. "This must be Mr. Tucker's house." 

Edward looked around. "It's awfully quiet. Is anybody even here?" He used the doorbell, which rung out soundly throughout the entire house. "Hello? Mister Tucker?"

Kairi peered in through the door's window. "No response. Maybe everybody's out." Edward sighed. "Aw, c'mon, we come all this way and nobody's home?" He paused, looking at the door handle. "Wait, but the door's unlocked."

Alphonse immediately realized what he had in mind. "Huh? Ed! You can't just barge into someone's house unannounced..." But it was too late. Edward had already opened the door.

The party followed him into a large hallway, with bookshelves lining the path to a large study. "Hello?" Sora called out. "Mister Tucker? Anybody home?" Alexander cupped his hands and shouted, "Hello?"

Erica grimaced as the only reply was their own faint echo. The party stood in silence for a moment. "Still no answer..." Edward mumbled. Alphonse nodded. "Yep. They're all going out."

Edward scowled. "But then why would the door be unlocked? ...Something doesn't feel right here, guys. Let's have a look around inside." Alphonse did a take. "What? Ed!"

"Hey, Edward," Riku cut in, "why did you ask the colonel about biological alchemists anyway?" Edward smirked as he took a step forward into the hall. "That fake Philosopher's Stone seemed to be too unstable for Cornello to make the chimera we fought. Maybe there was someone who made it for him. If we find that guy, we can piece together some of this mystery of the crimson stones."

Edward's smirk turned into a grin. "We're... coming in!" he shouted into the building, in case there was someone there to hear him. Alphonse sighed. "Oh, brother..."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	7. The Tucker Mystery

Chapter 6  
The Tucker Mystery

The party moved on through the hall, looking around for any sign of life. Erica just kept twitching nervously, but the others ignored it. They reached an open door that led to an enormous study. The room had bookshelves overflowing with books and papers, but no people.

"There really is no one here..." Edward remarked, genuinely surprised.

Kairi shook her head. "But I don't see anything unusual." Alphonse nodded, and added, "They probably just forgot to lock the door before leaving the house."

Edward visibly paused. "No... Wait, Al. What's that over there?" He pointed to a corner of the room near a window. "Huh?" Alphonse mumbled. Edward ran ahead and turned the corner, with the others close behind him.

Everyone gasped at what they saw. The floor immediately ahead of them had a large red stain splattered across it. Sora quickly paled. "I... I don't think that's paint..."

Riku nodded slowly. "It's blood, alright. I wonder what could've happened here...?" Alphonse suddenly picked up something from the blood stain. It was a pair of glasses, and one of the lenses was broken. "Look at this! These glasses..." An idea suddenly hit him with alarming force. "Are they Mr. Tucker's!?"

Alexander took a step back. "The amount of blood on the floor here... No one could lose this much and still–"

Suddenly, a strange roar sounded out from beneath their feet, startling the already frightened travelers out of their wits. "Wh-What..." Erica gasped. "What was that!?"

Edward glanced at her. "Keep quiet, Erica. It sounded like it came from underneath us..."

Alphonse looked at his brother, shaking a little. "You think this house has a basement?" he asked hesitantly. Edward nodded. "Maybe. Let's snoop around and see what we can find."

The group looked around the library for some kind of clue. After a moment, Alex shouted, "Hey, I found some kind of document!" He ran back to the blood stain, where the others regrouped. The others reported that they had also found papers lying around on the desks and between some books. Alex, knowing that information was always important, put the papers together and read them aloud.

_"Synthesizing Chimeras with Verbal Skills"_

_Used dog that understood human speech:  
–Unsuccessful_

_Mere understanding seems not to be enough – perhaps animals with the ability to approximate human speech are required?_

_Collected and used birds with talking skills:  
–Unsuccessful (all)_

_Failure may be due to low intelligence of subjects?_

_Over thirty experiments with monkeys have failed – perhaps my skills are in question, rather than the abilities of the test subjects. Heard rumors of a "crimson stone" which supposedly amplifies transmutation powers. How might I procure one?_

_("Thoughts on the Crimson Stone"_

_Apparently, this crimson stone is also referred to as the "Elixir."_

_A man named Cornello has supplied me with information on how to obtain the stone. It came at the cost of one of my chimeras – a valuable sample, but I had no choice. Attempted a simple transmutation using the stone – results far exceed expectations. Its powers defy all common sense in alchemy.)_

_Just as in the field of medicine, sacrifice is necessary at times. Mankind must not fear progress. As faithful as she was to me, she must also have wished nothing less._

_Used the Elixir. Successful in synthesizing a chimera with verbal skills. Received the silver watch, emblem of state certification, and the alias "Sewing-Life Alchemist."_

_Received word that the chimera used for the exam has died._

Alex put the papers down, looking somewhat shaken by these writings. He'd seen the anime, so he knew what these papers were referring to. Still, to think that he was currently existing in a reality where men did things like this...

Erica shrugged. She had seen these many times before, and the impact was now lost on her. "C'mon, guys. Let's find that basement." She led the party to a trap door in the opposite corner of the room, which led down to another room.

* * *

It was a small laboratory, with a strange transmutation circle drawn in chalk on the center of the floor. And on one side of the circle, there was another large blood stain. Edward grimaced. "Look. There's more blood here..." 

Alphonse nodded, and didn't say anything for a moment. Then, reluctantly, he said, "I really think we should report to the colonel before we go any further. I'm getting a really bad feeling about this."

Riku sighed. "We've already come this far. We can look around a little bit more by ourselves."

Edward nodded, and slowly walked over to a table on the far side of the lab. Alphonse glanced around nervously. "But we shouldn't be poking around like this..." He trailed off when he saw Edward staring at something on the table. "What are you looking at?"

As everyone gathered around the alchemist, he replied, "It's a picture, probably of Mr. Tucker." Edward held up a small photo of a tall pale man with glasses, and a small girl standing beside him. "Huh..." Sora mumbled. Kairi stared at the picture for a moment, then asked, "Is that his daughter in the picture?"

"If it is..." Edward growled, "and this blood is hers..." A stunned silence fell over the group.

Edward noticed something else. "Hm? Hey, guys, look at this over here." He pointed at a small worn leather-bound book. Alexander picked it up and looked it over. "A diary, perhaps?"

Edward nodded. "Yeah. Looks like it's Mr. Tucker's."

Alexander opened the book up to some of the pages. "Let's see... Oh, great. Most of it's just squiggles all over. I can hardly read any of it."

Erica chuckled. "Well, that's what you'd expect from a doctor. See if you can decipher any of that chicken-scratch." Alex flipped a few pages, settled on some relatively legible writing, and started to read...

_annual assessment tomorrow  
at this rate they'll strip me of my cert  
NO NO can't let that happen_

_headache no progress at work  
damn dog barks too loud SHUT UP  
god my head hurts stupid dog_

_bought more lab animals  
5 dogs, 5 monkeys, 5 birds  
they're cute, says my girl_

_screwed up pissed off burned them all  
gotta burn them off cremate them  
shut up stop screaming you defect_

_"you can do it daddy"  
youcandoityoucandoityoucandoityoucandoit  
i'm at the end of the line here nina_

_my wife couldn't understand  
but this child would_

_"let's play let's play"  
second chimera successful_

The book trembled in Alexander's hands. Everyone was standing there, struck dumb into speechlessness. No one could make any sound except a few short gasps. This entry had knocked the wind out of all of them.

Alex threw the book down onto the table, still trembling. "This... this is some disturbing stuff... Not the product of a healthy mind. It's the diary of a madman... None of the other pages are even legible... Makes me ill just looking at the handwriting."

Alphonse reached for the discarded book. "Hey, look. Something fell out of the diary." Edward, shaken from the shock by this new curiosity, stared at the item in Alphonse's grip. "Huh? What is it?"

It was a ruby red stone, broken into several fragments. "That looks familiar..." Sora mused. Kairi did a take. "Wait! That's the crimson stone! Or broken pieces of it, at least..."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "No way... Mr. Tucker had the same fake Philosopher's Stone as Cornello!?"

Alphonse nodded in solemn confirmation. "Remember what Lieutenant Colonel Hughes told us? There's a lot of these crimson stones going around."

Edward turned toward the transmutation circle on the ground. "But what could you have been doing with this, Mr. Tucker...?"

Alex glanced at his sister. Even she was visibly scared now of what was happening. Or maybe it was the knowledge of what was about to happen. Alex was somewhat familiar with the game and the anime, so he had a pretty good idea of what Erica was afraid of...

"Sora, Riku, Kairi, Erica. I think it's best that you guys go back to the HQ and tell the colonel about what we found," Alex proposed. All eyes turned to him. The Kingdom Hearts characters, especially Sora, recognized that tone of voice. Alex was making some kind of Interference.

"Why do you think that?" Erica asked, still nervous. Alex glanced at her, and evenly replied, "There's still more to investigate here. But I'm sure that the colonel would want to know why one of their State Alchemists might have gone missing... And I think they may have a reason why."

Erica immediately got Alexander's meaning. She looked at the Kingdom Hearts characters. Sora glanced at Alex. **_You sure we ought to do this?_** Roxas asked.

**_It seems that there's something Erica doesn't want to encounter. You might as well,_** Joumae replied. Naminè then said, **_Well, I guess we'd better get going then. Be careful._** At length, Erica, Sora, Kairi, and Riku left the room.

Edward stared at Alex for a moment. "Something tells me there's more to what you're doing than you're letting on."

Alex sighed in response to the young alchemist. "I just don't want my sister to get into any more danger here. I have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen next, and so does she. So I think it's best this way. Besides, it's true that the sooner Mustang knows what's happened, the sooner he can act."

Alphonse turned toward a door at the side of the room. "Well, it looks like there's more to this basement. Let's look around some more."

* * *

The door led to some kind of storeroom, filled with cages. The trio looked around as they walked through. "This must be where he kept the chimeras he synthesized..." Edward reasoned. 

Ahead of them were three small bird/lizard chimeras of some sort. They seemed to watch the trio with searching eyes. "The cages are broken," Alphonse noted. "Did the chimeras break out themselves, or–"

Alex grimaced at the sight of the chimeras, which were slowly approaching. "Chat time's over. Looks like these chimeras are hungry – and we're on the plate!"

Alexander summoned his Lockshield, and Edward transmuted a sword out of the ground. Alphonse, being the first ready to fight, led the charge into the pack of chimeras. More of the bird things appeared from around the corner, charging at them. They were actually relatively weak compared to their previous enemies. In fact, they hardly ever were fast enough to land an attack on one of the fighters. They plowed through the chimeras easily, and made their way to the back storeroom.

There were two larger chimeras in there. Much like the lion hybrid from Lior, but about half the size. Alexander knew better than to rush in, so he unleashed a barrage of magic attacks like Blizzard and Thunder. Magnet turned out to be particularly handy, because it stunned the chimeras long enough for the Elrics to finish it off.

With the fighting over for now, the Elrics and Alexander examined the larger cages. "Do you think Mr. Tucker could have been attacked by one of his own chimeras...?" Alphonse supposed.

Edward turned toward the opposite wall. "Not very likely. Look at that." A humongous hole in the wall was there, blown apart by some kind of explosive force. "A chimera couldn't do this. Whoever made this hole was probably the one who got Mr. Tucker."

Alexander sighed. "Looks like it leads to the sewers..." Edward nodded, looking fully determined. "Alright. Ready, guys?"

Alphonse did a take. "Huh? Ready for what?" Then it hit him. "...Oh no, not the sewers again..."

Edward smirked. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now. Hurry up!"

* * *

_Meanwhile, at East Headquarters..._

"You know, Hughes..." Mustang muttered, twitching as he suppressed his annoyance, "I would really like to return to work now..."

Hughes grinned and held up _yet another photo_. "Next up is... **this**! **Ta-daaa**! This is from when we were at the beach! My wife and daughter are **so cute**!"

"Don't **you** have to get back to work?" Mustang snapped. Rolling his eyes, he groaned, "Agh, maybe I should have made Fullmetal stick around for this gut-churning display."

A blond-haired man in a military uniform with a cigarette in his mouth came through the door. "Colonel! We have a problem!"

Mustang almost looked excited. "Havoc! What excellent timing! How would you like to sit in my chair and listen to Hughes talk about his–"

Lieutenant Havoc cut him off. "No time for jokes, sir! Brigadier General Basque Gran was killed during his inspection visit!"

This shocked all of them. "Brigadier Gran!?You've gotta be kidding!" Mustang retorted. "Not only is he a State Alchemist – he's also an expert on military combat!"

Havoc nodded, confirming how serious this news sounded. "It was Scar, sir!" Hughes put away the photo and grimaced. "Scar!? So he really is here... With the Brigadier General gone, the only State Alchemists is town are–" He did a take. "Oh no! Roy!!!"

At that moment, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Erica burst into the room. "Colonel!" Sora shouted. "We've got some news for you!"

Roy shook his head. "It'll have to come later. We have a serial killer on the loose, and it seems that the Fullmetal Alchemist may be a target."

"Exactly!" Erica shouted. "It concerns what we found in the Tucker place! There was blood all over the place... and there were these weird documents...!"

Hughes stared at them. "Wait a minute! Where are the Elrics and Alexander Karsath?"

Riku started to see the danger. "They went deeper into the basement of the Mr. Tucker's home to investigate his possible death."

Mustang grimaced, and turned toward Havoc. "Deploy emergency troops throughout the city! Get as many men as you can! Follow me to the Tucker residence!"

Havoc shouted, "Yes, sir!" and ran out of the room. Hughes folded his arms, deep in thought. "Those boys have been gone for some time now. I hope they don't run into each other..."

Mustang's grimace quickly became a scowl. "I will not allow you to die within my jurisdiction, Fullmetal..."

* * *

_Back in a sluiceway of the sewers just below the Tucker residence..._

The trio of Edward, Alphonse, and Alexander stepped through the hole in the wall, confronted by the offensive smell that they had encountered once before. "Ugh..." Edward groaned. "Do all sewers have to reek **this** unfathomably bad?"

"Ewww... And I just cleaned off the crud from the last time, too," Alphonse whined. "I want you to know I hate this, Ed!"

Joumae chuckled in Alexander's mind. **_You've actually got it pretty good, Alex. Your clothes are magical; you don't need to worry about washing, even after an adventure like this._** Alex refrained from laughing, so that he didn't openly offend the Elrics.

Edward shook his head. "There seems to be something about us and the sewers, alright..." Suddenly, he was cut off by a noise. Everyone stopped to listen. "Hm?" Edward mumbled.

"Sounds like footsteps..." Alexander realized. Edward nodded, and muttered, "Someone's nearby. Who could it be...? Come on, guys."

They fought their way down the long sluiceway, encountering many chimeras. There were only two types: the ones they had fought within the Tucker residence itself. Having already fought them before, they knew what strategy to use, so they got by quickly. They found a door, which led to a room with some stairs.

Edward grinned as they reached the top of the stairs. It was brighter ahead of them, and some rain was falling from above. "Hey, guys. There's a ladder here."

Alex looked, and sure enough, there was a ladder leading up to the surface. A sewer exit. "Maybe the source of the footsteps climbed up and went outside?" he proposed.

Edward nodded to him. "Could be. C'mon, let's go... before the stink down here makes me vomit."

* * *

The trio climbed the ladder, and entered a freightyard in East City. A whole bunch of steel boxes were everywhere, and it was raining heavily. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no one around. 

"Okay," Edward decided finally. "The good news is we're out of the sewers. The bad news is there's nobody here. Wanna break for lunch?"

Alphonse seemed to glare at Edward. "I'm telling you, we should go back to headquarters. We've gone far enough, and we need to regroup with the others."

Edward sighed in defeat. "Yeah... I guess you're right. Besides, we don't have much of a choice now."

"Oh! There you are!" a man's voice called from the other end of the freightyard. "Mr. Elric! Mr. Edward Elric!!!" It was a military policeman.

As the Elrics and the military officer met in the middle, Alex suddenly stopped walking. He could've sworn he heard someone. "Elric...? Edward... Elric..." It was a man's voice. Alex suddenly froze up. He knew who it was.

"Oh, thank god you're alright!" the policeman exclaimed. "We've been looking all over for you!"

Edward raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Huh? What do you want with me?" The military officer quickly became serious. "My orders are to return you to headquarters at once. The serial killer has been–"

"Edward Elric... 'Fullmetal Alchemist'!" the man Alex had heard shouted menacingly. The man stepped out from behind a steel box. He had shockingly white hair and semi-dark skin. He wore sunglasses, a white shirt with a brown jacket, and black slacks. But he had a huge scar on his forehead.

"What!?" Edward exclaimed. The military policeman paled. "That scar on the forehead...!" The man with the scar approached the policeman.

Edward did a take. "Wait! No!!!" The man tensed his right hand, and thrust it into the officer's abdomen. With a blood-curdling scream, the officer's blood suddenly exploded out of his back in red sparks, and he fell into a pool of his own blood. It wasn't hard to tell that he had been immediately killed.

Alexander almost lost his lunch at the sight. This was Scar, and he was serious. "In the name of the great God Almighty... Thou shalt perish!" Scar declared, facing Edward.

Edward grimaced, and, after a moment, demanded, "Who **are** you? Why are you after me?"

"If you are the creators of this society," Scar stated, "then there must also be destroyers."

Alexander's hand twitched. "So we have no choice, huh..." He summoned his Lockshield out of darkness, and stood in his fighting stance. "You asked for it!!!" The Elrics also got into their fighting stances.

Scar stared at all of them for a moment. "Your courage is admirable..." At that, Scar slowly started to advance. Alexander, fear giving him the necessary adrenaline, suddenly charged forward.

Alex slashed at Scar. But he was too fast. "That's no good..." Scar muttered, poising his hand for an attack, some red sparks appearing. Alex whipped around and brought his shield in front of himself. Scar's hand impacted the shield, and they clashed without any damage. Some of the sparks traveled along the Lockshield, and Alex could see a few of them enter the small keyhole.

Suddenly, there was a bright green flash, and the two of them were thrown back by an explosion of energy. "What the...!?" Scar muttered, holding his right arm. It was starting to bleed.

"What the hell!?" Edward shouted, glancing at Alexander. Alex was on the ground, holding his head and writhing violently, obviously in great pain. Green sparks appeared all over the Lockshield, which continued to shine.

The last thing Alexander heard was his own scream filling his senses.

* * *

Alexander slowly became conscious again. Or, at least, he thought he was conscious. Actually, the ground felt rather cold right now... 

Alex stood up, and opened his eyes ever so slowly. When he finally focused on the floor, he was jerked all the way to wakefulness. He was at the Station of Awakening!

He looked all the way up, and gasped at what he saw. In the very middle of the Station was a huge dark gate, with a large eye design in the middle of the large double doors. Alex recognized this as the Gate from the Fullmetal Alchemist anime. But why was it here at his Station of Awakening? Unless...

To Alexander's surprise, the doors began to swing open, revealing a murky black space within. Out of the dark substance, a figure began to reach out from it. Alex gasped when he saw it was the Darkside Heartless.

Things were getting confusing now. There was the Gate from FMA and the Darkside from Kingdom Hearts in the same place. What was going on? And where the heck was Joumae?

**Another power sleeps within you.**

Alex looked around in spite of his knowledge of the voice that had entered his mind. He knew he wouldn't find it. It was the voice from his first Awakening! But why was it here now?

**But to gain it... you must pay the price according to the law of this world.**

Alexander looked up at the Darkside. Suddenly, the voice's words were beginning to make sense... and he didn't like was it was saying.

**The law of Equivalent Exchange...**

Suddenly, a pool of darkness appeared at Alex's feet, and it slowly started to suck him in. Alex struggled with all his might against the dark tendrils, but he made no progress. At last, the words' meaning rang true and clearly.

_No, you can't mean that..._ Alex thought, his efforts rapidly decreasing in strength. _You mean... Not the darkness again..._

His thoughts were cut off as he was entirely enveloped by the darkness. All at once, words and images began to fill his head. Information, and a lot of it. Alex's panic went up another notch when he realized that this information was about alchemy! Just about everything about alchemy was forcing itself into his mind. He couldn't quite understand it yet, but the information was coming. In fact, it looked like he was on the verge of understanding the key to human transmutation...

And then it stopped. Just like that. Alexander was left alone in the darkness as it crept deeper and deeper into his heart. The law of Equivalent Exchange... He had paid the price of his light. The light he had worked so hard to gain back was now all but completely gone.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	8. Questions of False Allegiance

Chapter 7  
Questions of False Allegiance

"Ugh..." Alex moaned, slowly returning to consciousness. He didn't open his eyes just yet, but it felt like he was in a bed of some sort. _Wait a minute..._ he thought to himself. _Shouldn't I be dead by now?_

"Hey, he's awake!" a voice shouted, cutting off Alexander's thoughts. Alex opened his eyes slowly and looked toward the voice. It had been Sora. After a few moments of getting used to the light, he realized he was in a hospital bed. Riku and Kairi were also in the room.

"Looks like you finally came around," Riku remarked with a smirk. Alex groaned again. Leave it to Riku to sound insensitive.

"What happened to you?" Kairi asked worriedly. Alex sighed, and propped himself up on his elbows to face his friends properly. Looking around, the boy asked, "Where are the others?"

"I think they're in Mustang's office," Sora answered him. "You're in the hospital wing of East Headquarters."

Alex chuckled. "So I guess you found us just as Scar was about to finish us off, then..." The others were a bit startled by this deduction, but they nodded in confirmation. "Anyway..." Alex started, wondering what to say now, "how is everyone else doing? And what happened to me?"

Kairi tried to smile, but it came out only halfway. "Edward's automail arm seems to have been destroyed by Scar, as well as the right side of Alphonse's armor. We arrived on the scene with the others right as Scar defeated the Elrics, but Scar got away."

Riku averted his gaze. "You seemed to have passed out." After a quick glance with the others, he added, "Summon your Lockshield."

Alexander was confused by this order, but he slowly stretched his hand forth anyway. His hand was covered in an inky black darkness for a moment, and the Lockshield appeared. Alex gasped. The design was completely different than the Heartless Seal he was used to. It was now a dull silver color, and the symbol seen on the back of Edward's trenchcoat, the cross with the snake winding up it, now replaced the Heartless emblem in a bright red. The small keyhole was still there in the center of the shield.

"...the heck!?" Alex muttered. Sora scratched the back of his head, not sure what to say. "The Lockshield's design had changed by the time we had arrived."

Alexander stared at the shield, trying to figure out what was going on. _Maybe it has something to do with what happened at the Awakening..._

"Just what exactly happened while you were out, Alexander?" Riku asked coldly. Alex glanced at him, and remained silent for a while. At length, Alex began to describe the events at the Station of Awakening, including the strange Gate, the darkness overwhelming him, and the knowledge of alchemy invading his mind.

* * *

When his tale was finished, there was confusion from all of them, including Alex. "I'm not sure what to make of it myself..." Alex admitted. "But all I know is that my darkness has become significantly stronger somehow. In fact..." His eyes widened in realization. "I don't think I can hear Joumae anymore." 

Sora and Kairi quickly turned around, obviously interrogating their Nobodies. When they faced Alexander again, they shook their heads sadly to confirm that Joumae's presence was nowhere to be found.

"Well, crud," Alex muttered. "Makes sense, though. Joumae was the darkness in my heart isolated by Disney Castle's Cornerstone of Light. Now that there's not much light to isolate it..." He didn't finish that sentence, because it was obvious to all of them. Alex sighed, and continued. "This isn't good. Because I don't have a counterpart to hear through, that means I can't hear Roxas or Naminè either."

"That would also explain why you heard the strange voice at the Station of Awakening rather than meeting Joumae," Sora reasoned. "That voice must be the will of the Lockshield. But Joumae's supposed to be that too. Joumae has been probably changed back to that shallow mysterious voice."

Riku mumbled something incoherent. He stared at Alexander for a few moments, then stated, "So you paid your light by the law of Equivalent Exchange... but what did you gain as the equivalent?"

Alex didn't answer that. He couldn't. Not yet, anyway.

"Also..." Riku added, his voice suddenly lowered. This sudden change in tone immediately grabbed Alex's attention. "When we saw you, we had assumed that you had suffered a mortal injury from Scar," Riku explained. "But Erica's reaction... Well, let's just say that she was more _curious_ than worried."

Alex would've reacted in a surprised manner, but there wasn't any more time for discussion. The door to the hospital room opened, and there stood Roy Mustang. "Alexander Karsath," Mustang greeted him evenly. "Are you feeling well?"

Alex shrugged. "Well enough to move, I guess."

Mustang nodded, his expression remaining serious. "Good. All of you, follow me to my office."

* * *

The colonel opened the door to his office. "Sorry to keep you all waiting." Him and the Kingdom Hearts crew stepped inside, followed by Alexander. Hughes, Havoc, Edward, and Alphonse were there, and there were also some new people. A woman with sharp golden hair and a serious expression, whom Alex recognized at Lieutenant Hawkeye. There was also a tall, well-built, bald man with a large mustache. Alex winced when he recognized him as Major Armstrong. 

Hughes smirked as he looked at the Elric brothers. They were in the bad shape Kairi had described them. "Are you guys alright? We were worried about you. I'm just glad you're still alive."

Edward sighed, quickly acknowledging Alexander. "Well, we're alive, but we're far from 'alright'..."

Alphonse, after also giving Alex a glance, dived into the report, saying, "Colonel, we went to Mr. Tucker's house, and–"

"I know," Mustang muttered, cutting him off. "Hughes already looked into it. Mr. Tucker was murdered, most definitely by Scar." Edward nodded slowly. "That's what I thought..."

Hughes scowled. "What a mess... Three dead in a single day. An MP, Tucker, and Tucker's little girl."

"So Mr. Tucker did have a daughter," Sora remarked. "We saw a picture of her."

Hughes nodded, sighing again. "That's right. And the daughter, before she was killed by Scar, seems to have been–"

"Hughes..." Mustang quickly snapped, cutting him off. He apparently didn't want the Elrics to hear what was next.

But Alexander didn't care at this point. "...transmuted into a chimera?" he muttered darkly after a moment, picking up where Hughes left off. All eyes turned to him, including Erica's.

"A chimera?!" Kairi gasped, her eyes wide. Alexander nodded. "That's right. In order to pass his annual State Alchemist assessment, he transmuted his daughter and his dog into a talking chimera. He was insane. In fact, the chimera he had made two years ago to become a State Alchemist had been the transmutation of his _wife_ and an animal. Turns out the only way you can make a talking chimera, as Mr. Tucker found out, is to transmute a human and an animal with the crimson stone."

A silence fell over the entire room. Erica leaned over to Alex and whispered, "Didn't you say that we weren't supposed to blurt out stuff?" Alex glared at her, not in the mood for backtalk. "I think it's best that they know," he muttered back.

"How do you know this?" Hughes asked hesitantly. "That isn't any of your concern..."

"We told you," Riku cut in. "We're not from this world. Alexander and Erica are even further removed. They've actually seen these events happen before through different mediums, so they know what's going on."

Edward furrowed his brow. "But how can that be? I thought all that nonsense about other worlds was a bunch of..." He quickly shut up, realizing that he'd said too much.

Alex sighed, shaking his head. "I see... You never believed us in the first place, did you? None of you believed us from the start. You were just playing along."

Hughes shrugged. "Took you long enough," he admitted.

Sora was dumbfounded and outraged at the same time. "But... How can you not believe us?! How else can you possibly explain our abilities and the existence of the Heartless and Nobodies?!"

Alphonse looked at Sora, saying, "If you used advanced alchemy, you could create a solid object from refracting particles of light, or a murky gaseous component."

Edward couldn't help but smirk. "Your 'Fire spell' could be replicated by increasing the oxygen concentration in the surrounding air and sending a charge through it. 'Blizzard' can be copied by cooling the air and concentrating the surrounding vapor into ice crystals. You can easily create a lightning bolt, like in your 'Thunder' by creating a electromagnetic charge at two points, which will create a large spark between them."

Edward's smirk turned into a grin as he went on. "'Magnet' is simply creating a magnetic field at one point. 'Reflect' is the same principle of creating a solid from refracting light particles, and then shooting blasts of it to look like damage was reflected."

Erica was impressed, but there was one thing missing. "And Cure?" Alphonse looked a little embarrassed. "Well, since that you guys haven't used it on us, we figured that there wasn't any healing going on, and that you hadn't suffered real injuries as it was. You could've just created a green glow to signal some kind of healing process. Your fighting skills seem to support that theory. You don't seem to need much curing."

Mustang also contributed to the argument. "Those 'Heartless' and 'Nobodies' could just easily be some kind of alchemic creation, like a chimera, designed with little intelligence and the ability to destroy themselves after taking a little damage."

Alex hung his head. "I see, so you merely thought that all we were dealing with was complicated alchemy. And the rest was either completely made up or the fact that we were completely crazy."

Hughes rubbed the back of his neck. "Yep. That pretty much sums it up."

Alexander mulled this over for a moment, then suddenly started laughing. "Well, what do you know!" he exclaimed. "Once again, the greatest Interference has to be the use of information!"

Alphonse looked back at Hughes. "So... is he right about Tucker's daughter? ...Was she really transmuted into a chimera before she was killed?"

Hughes sighed. "Yeah, he's right. The second blood stain in the laboratory was apparently hers. We found a dog collar near the blood that we now know belongs to Mr. Tucker's dog."

Erica suddenly smiled. "And since we knew this beforehand without anyone telling us, you have to admit that we are from another world, and that we're telling the truth, and that we aren't using alchemy at all, and that the Heartless and Nobodies really exist how we described them!" she shouted quickly, almost running out of breath.

Edward grimaced. "Damn. The fangirl's right. But still, to think that Mr. Tucker was insane enough to transmute his daughter... And that Scar killed her too."

"Quite the hassle we have on our hands," Mustang admitted. "But Scar won't have his way for long, now that he's in my jurisdiction." He paused for effect, then stated, "Let there be no doubt – the next time we see him... we'll crush him."

* * *

With all that business out of the way, they now moved on to current topics. Hughes turned to Edward. "...Well, that's enough of that. So, Ed, what are you guys gonna do now?" 

Edward glanced at his metal right shoulder. "Well, I want to fix Al's body, but I can't use alchemy with my arm busted up like this."

To (mostly) everyone's surprise, Major Armstrong threw off his military shirt in one fluid motion, and stood in a stance that displayed his large muscles effectively. "Would you like me to fix you up?" he inquired of Alphonse. The armor tried to shuffle away, but he was up against the wall. "**No, thank you.**"

Alex averted his gaze, but said, "Edward is the only one who knows the technique of binding a soul to the armor. So we need to fix Ed's arm, first and foremost."

Lieutenant Hawkeye, who had been relatively silent up until this point, mulled this over. "Good point. If Edward can't use alchemy, he's just..."

"...A foul-mouthed brat," Havoc muttered.  
"...A cocky little shrimp!" Hughes exclaimed with glee.  
"...Useless!" Mustang remarked, obviously trying to hold back his amusement. "Positively useless!"

Alphonse looked away from his brother. "Sorry, brother. You're on your own."

Edward quickly exploded. "Graaaaaahhhh!" he yelled. "What are you guys pickin' on me for!?" But after a few moments, he settled down into mere frustration. "Aw, what's the use? Time to go see my mechanic."

Armstrong (who had somehow gotten his shirt back on without anyone noticing) furrowed his brow in thought. "Hm. Then I shall be your bodyguard on the way to your mechanic's shop."

Edward did a take. "Huh? Are you kiddin' me? I don't need a bodyguard."

Hawkeye shook her head and glared at Edward. "Yes, you do. You don't know when Scar might appear again. Besides, you can't carry Alphonse by yourself."

Edward growled, but then said, "...Well, it doesn't have to be the major!"

Objections quickly followed.

"I've got mounds of work to do," Hughes pointed out, "so I have to return to Central pronto."  
"There's no way I can leave East Headquarters," Mustang reminded Edward irritably.  
"I'll have to stay here to keep an eye on him," Hawkeye remarked with a sigh, motioning slightly toward Mustang.  
"And I couldn't protect you from a guy like Scar," Havoc admitted with little shame.

"Then it's set!" Armstrong exclaimed, nodding to himself with pride. "No, it isn't!" Edward retorted. "Why can't the so-called other-worlders be enough!?"

Sora sighed, and hung his head. "Even we can't go up against a guy like Scar. And the major there looks like he's the best one to carry Al."

Mustang smirked. "If you're still going to throw tantrums, I can court-martial you for disobeying orders. How would you like that?"

Erica glared at Mustang, but Alex couldn't help but grin. Edward was acting childish, so he was getting threatened with a grounding, more or less. It was priceless.

Edward growled angrily. "You make me so mad...!"

Armstrong smiled. "Well then, we should start packing. You should get ready too, Edward Elric. Don't forget your blankie, now."

As everyone laughed, Edward screamed, "Stop treating me like a baby!!!"

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	9. Back in Resembool

Chapter 8  
Back in Resembool

A train ride later, the party found themselves in a large town in the countryside, filled with flowing plains and large forests in the distance. Their entire surroundings were rich with life, and the only traces of civilization were the small cottages dotting the fields. The party came down the dirt path toward one specific cottage down the hill.

"Here we are at last, Major!" Alphonse announced from the crate he was in (which the major was carrying on his shoulder, it should be added). "This is Resembool, our hometown!"

"Mmmmm!" Armstrong acknowledged, taking in the aura of the surroundings. "The crisp, clean air! Such a quiet, peaceful place."

"Which is kind of ironic, really," Alex noted, "considering that this is the Elrics' hometown."

"I told ya we didn't need a bodyguard," Edward muttered. "As soon as my arm's fixed, I'm cutting you loose, Major."

The major was less than pleased. "What are you saying, Edward Elric?" he asked skeptically. "You must learn that there is no shame in accepting another's help! One with true strength acknowledges one's own weaknesses with humility, and accepts help at times of need!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, I gotcha..."

Wanting to move things along, Kairi said, "This is the first time we've been to an automail mechanic. Is the shop still a ways from here?"

Edward faced the road ahead, pointing with his left arm at the house at the end of the path. "See that house over there? That's it. They give me a discount 'cuz I'm an old customer... They do good work." Resuming the walk, Edward added, "Come on. We're almost there."

* * *

On the porch of the house was an old lady, about a foot shorter than Edward. She had faded violet hair in a tight bun, wore glasses and smoked on a pipe. She came out to greet them, recognizing the Elrics. "Welcome, boys. So good to see you." 

"Hey, Auntie Pinako," Edward greeted her back. "I need your services again." Alphonse shuffled around in his crate. "It's been a long time, Auntie!"

The major bowed slightly. "Alex Louis Armstrong is the name. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, madam."

Pinako grinned. "I'm Pinako Rockbell. The pleasure's all mine." Glancing at the others, she said, "Who're your friends here?"

Sora waved at her. "Hello. I'm Sora. These are my friends Riku and Kairi," he said, gesturing toward his buddies, who nodded slightly. Alex also smiled at Pinako and stated, "I'm Alexander Karsath. That's my sister Erica," he added with a little disdain, gesturing toward her sister, who was standing pretty close to Edward.

"Nice to meet you all," Pinako replied. She looked at Edward, grinning wider as she seemed to take note of something. "Well, well..." She looked at Edward, then the Major, then back at Edward. Actually, she just looked at the space between their heads.

"Ed... you've gotten smaller since the last time I saw you," Pinako remarked, apparently knowing all too well what she was evoking.

"What!?" Edward screamed. "Who're you callin' small, you bite-sized old hag?"

Pinako was ready. "Oh, now you've said it! You pipsqueak! Microbe! Turnip-sized bowl-licker!"

"You half-pinted floozy!" Edward shot back. "Flea circus performer! Brine shrimp egg!"

"Dammit, Ed!" a girl's voice called out from the balcony of the second floor of the house. Before they knew it, a wrench came flying through the air, knocking into Edward's head and throwing him back. "D'OW!!!" he yelped as he hit the ground.

"How many times do I have to tell you to **call me** before you come in for maintenance!" the girl shouted, furious with Edward. Everyone looked up at the girl who had thrown the wrench. From that distance, they could see that she had long golden hair, but she had it wrapped up in a bandana.

Edward jumped back to his feet and glared at the girl. "...Winry!" he screamed. "Are you trying to kill me!?" Alphonse looked up at his crate and saw the girl as well. "Oh! Hi, Winry! We're home!"

Winry laughed at Edward's reaction. "Hahaha! Welcome back!"

Edward rubbed the bump on his head. "Some welcome..." he grumbled.

* * *

"Whaaaaaaaaaaa!?" Winry screamed. "Wh-What happened to your arm...!?" 

They were all in the Rockbell's living room, and Winry was inspecting the damage to Edward's automail arm. Not that there was much to see; the whole thing had been pretty much sheared off.

"Yeah, about that..." Edward mumbled, a little embarrassed. "It got busted into something like... a million pieces. I need it fixed, fast."

Winry rhythmically tapped her wrench on her shoulder, as if she were about to use it like a weapon. "Ed, I want answers! How did you wreck the best automail I've ever made? I put my heart and soul into that!" She glanced at Alphonse in his crate. "And Al's busted up too? You've been getting into some real trouble, haven't you?"

"No. Well, I mean..." Alphonse stuttered, clearly not wanting to tell Winry exactly what happened. "Ask Ed," he said quickly, wanting to draw away Winry's death glare.

Winry glanced at the metal joint of Ed's right shoulder, and sighed. "Cutting, buildings, fine-tuning, and finishing... then this, that, and the other – ugh, more all-nighters for sure."

"Listen, I know I'm asking a lot," Edward said hesitantly, "but can you finish it all in, like... a week?"

Winry suddenly grinned. "Don't insult me. We'll have it done in three days! But I'm gonna have to charge you extra for the rush job!"

Winry and Pinako left to work on the automail. The rest of the party stayed and talked amongst themselves. "Still..." Erica muttered. "That's three days of waiting..."

Alex laughed. "Yeah, you don't have the automatic time skip that the game provides. You'll just have to wait those three days."

Sora nodded at her. "It's nice to take a break once in a while. Let's enjoy it."

Edward grumbled to himself. "Takin' breaks just ain't my style. I'm gonna break _something_ if I can't find something to do..."

"Brother..." Alphonse mumbled. "I've been thinking... Maybe you should visit Mom." A mourning silence fell over the party. "I'll stay here..." Alphonse continued. "I don't want to bother the Major to carry me around. You should go while you still have the time."

"Visit her grave, huh..." Edward muttered. "You're right. I'll be back in a while, I guess." He stood up to leave.

Erica approached him. "I'll go with you." Edward gave her a bit of a strange look, but nodded. "You can if you want to." Edward and Erica left the house after a moment.

"You sure you want to leave her alone with her obsession, Alex?" Riku wondered aloud. Alex smirked at him, but shrugged it off. "Nah, I think it'll be good for her to sober up."

* * *

Days one and two passed without much incident. Sora and Riku sparred in the fields, with Kairi watching. Alphonse usually sat around the house all day unless Armstrong carried him somewhere, which wasn't very often. Winry worked many of the hours on Edward's new automail arm. Armstrong often chatted with Pinako, who was curious about what the Elrics were doing out in the world. Erica followed Edward around like the plague. And Alexander often took walks through the town, thinking to himself. 

For the most part, he contemplated his new situation. The recent trip to the Awakening had really shaken him quite a bit, though he wasn't sure what exactly had been shaken. He had lost Joumae, which meant that he'd gained quite a bit of darkness. Much like the time right before he had faced Sephiroth...

Alex paused in his walk. Right before he had fought Sephiroth, his Anti Form had gone out of control. He'd even attacked Sora in that form. Was his darkness on that same level even now? Perhaps even stronger than that?

If so, there was a good chance that any normal Drive Form he tried to use would end up in Anti Form, which would take control. But he didn't have Joumae, so he didn't have a counterpart to aid him in going into Final Form. This was a bit of a problem...

But then there was the whole bit about the alchemy. The information that he'd been given... It was coming back to him now. Alchemy seemed so simple now with this kind of knowledge. With the right tools, Alex assumed that maybe even he could use it...

"Hey, Alexander!" a voice called out to him. Alex turned around to see Edward walking over to him, with Erica close behind.

"Oh, hey Ed," Alex replied calmly. "What brings you out here?" Edward shrugged a little, though it looked weird with only one arm. "I talked to Sora and Riku earlier. They told me about that strange dream you had after Scar had knocked you out. They also said I'd probably find you taking a walk through the town as well."

Alex sighed. "You mean that incident at my Station of Awakening... I assume you've already been told the details."

Erica nodded. "That's right. They said you had paid a price according to Equivalent Exchange. And they also mentioned the Gate, and the alchemic information entering your head."

Alexander glanced away, thinking about that. "Edward. Does this sound familiar to you?" Edward nodded solemnly. "Yeah. It was just like the time when we tried to revive my mother... the Gate..." Edward seemed to get an idea. "Hey, try using alchemy."

Alex did a take. "What!? What do you mean?" Edward rolled his eyes. "I mean what I said. Try using alchemy. You seem to have the knowledge of how to do it."

The Interference faltered. He thought about it for a moment, and realized that he did have the basics of it. "Er... yeah... But I don't have anything to draw a transmutation circle with."

The young alchemist thought about this for a moment. "Maybe you can't draw it... But maybe you can create a circle nonetheless..." he mused.

Alexander did another take. "You mean to imply that I can..." He paused. It was possible. It was definitely possible... Alex turned away, and spread out his hands. After a moment's hesitation, he slammed them together, a dull clap coming from the impact. But it didn't have the same ring to it as when Edward clapped his hands to use alchemy.

"Not quite," Alex muttered, looking back to see Edward nod at him, while Erica stood there looking confused. Alex and Edward both knew that the secret to his transmutation without a circle was the act of clapping his hands to create a soundwave. Once you did it perfectly, a perfect flat soundwave ringing out from the impact would, in essence, create an all-purpose transmutation circle hovering in the rippling air. If you transferred the alchemic energy to the hands, you could sustain the circle long enough to place it on something to transmute. That was the technique.

Alex clapped his hands a few more times, without much progress. Frustrated, Alex flattened his hands out, and carefully slammed them together perfectly. A ringing clap sounded out, and Alex could almost feel the alchemic energy at his fingertips.

In excitement, Alexander quickly thought about what to do next. _Transfer the energy to a different platform..._ He quickly placed his hands on the ground.

_Understand the component..._ It was pretty much just dirt. Compact soil. Very simple structure, and easy to manipulate.

_Deconstruct it..._ Bright green sparks began to flash at the ground in front of him. The beginning of an alchemic reaction.

_...and reconstruct it!!_ Out of the sparks, the ground rose up, solidified, and became a large set of stone spikes jutting out of the ground. It had all taken about a second.

Edward whistled at Alexander's work. "Well done. You've used alchemy to recreate my Stonespike technique. Without a circle, even."

Alex, breathing heavily from the excitement, watched the Stonespikes crumble away back into soil. He had made their structure rather fragile so that they wouldn't stay there for too long. He stood up straight, and pondered this new discovery over for a few silent moments.

Erica, however, broke the silence. "That's... that's no fair!!" she whined. "How come you get to use alchemy?! You weren't even the one who became the Interference here!"

Alexander smirked, and summoned the Lockshield out of inky black smoke. The new design was still there. Getting an idea, he placed the shield out in front of him and said, "_Blizzard_."

But nothing happened. No magic appeared, and no ice crystals sprung forth. "I see..." Alex said, staring into the small keyhole in the center of the shield. "When Scar's alchemy entered that keyhole, it interfaced with my heart. Alchemy entered my very being. It also gave me a new design for the Lockshield. While the Keyblade has keychains, the Lockshield has these designs."

Alex smirked. "This design probably allows me to use alchemy. But if I were to change it back to the Heartless Seal..." He closed his eyes and concentrated. The Lockshield was covered in black smoke for a moment. When the smoke dissipated, its original design had reappeared. "I could use magic, but not alchemy," Alex finished, opening his eyes. He held the Lockshield over his head and muttered, "_Cure_." A bright green glow surrounded them, and all of them suddenly felt refreshed.

Alexander grinned, and changed the Lockshield back to the new design. "The design I got from this world..." He muttered. "I think I'll call it the Crimson Catalyst."

Erica just glared at him, muttering something under her breath.

* * *

Finally, the third day came, and the Rockbells announced that they were done. "...You ready?" Pinako asked Edward, holding the new automail arm right next to the joint. "Here it comes!!!" With one thrust, Pinako shoved the automail into the metal joint, where it fit perfectly. 

Edward's body convulsed in pain once the arm was completely in place. "...Unnngh," he groaned. "The part where the nerves connect gets me every time..."

Winry grinned at him. "Don't be such a baby. Now go ahead, move it around... How does it feel?" Edward proceeded to move his new right arm around, testing its movement and angles.

After a few moments of testing, Edward stated, "...It feels great!"

Winry quickly grimaced, shaking a finger at Edward. "Now, I know you're going to slack off, so I increased the percentage of chrome to prevent rusting, but–"

"Al!" Edward shouted, already running out the door. "I'm comin' to fix ya!!!"

Winry stomped her foot on the ground as he shouted after him, "Would you please _listen_ to me when I'm talking to you!?"

* * *

Edward ran out to the front yard, where Alphonse was still sitting in his crate. The rest of the party was waiting for him there. Sora grinned at him. "Your new arm looks great, Ed! Looks like you can always count on Pinako and Winry, huh?" 

Edward nodded, still ecstatic. "Yeah, I guess. Okay, Al, it's your turn to be fixed. Ready?" Without any further chatting, Edward clapped his hands together and placed them on the crate. There was a blinding flash of light, but when the flash faded, the crate was gone. Alphonse slowly stood up, showing everyone that the armor was fully repaired and completely intact.

"I feel great!" Alphonse exclaimed. "Thanks, Brother."

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "I see... You just transferred the material of the crate and the remains of Alphonse's armor that we had put in there, and connected them with Al's soul via the blood seal to create moving limbs for him."

Edward grinned at him. "Good job! Keep on practicing like that, and you'll almost be as good an alchemist as I am!" Alex shrugged at the compliment. Edward looked back at Alphonse and said, "Well then... Shall we?"

Both of the Elrics got into fighting stances. Armstrong walked out of the side door of the house and saw this. "Hm? What are you two about to start now?" he asked as he approached.

"Just a little sparring practice," Edward explained. "Gotta make sure my limbs are working." Alphonse nodded, adding, "Besides, we haven't been able to move for a while, so we need to get our chops back up."

Sora and Riku glanced at each other. "Not a bad idea..." Riku remarked. "I think a bit of a spar would do us all some good." Sora and Riku walked away, summoning their Keyblades and heading for their usual arena.

Armstrong nodded. "Aha! Then I shall join you in your pugilistic pursuits!" Edward smiled at him... before the true meaning of his words struck home. "Okay! Uh... wait, what?"

Armstrong's shirt had come off again, and he now wore metal gauntlets on his hands. He stretched his muscles for effect, then stood in a fighting stance. "Come hither, tots!" he ordered. "All pulled punches shall be promptly punished!"

Alex chuckled nervously at the alliteration. Kairi stepped back and said, "Um... I'm gonna watch Sora and Riku," before running after her friends. Edward looked over to her helplessly, before turning to Alphonse and whispering, "_Al, say something to make him stop!_"

Alphonse whispered back at the same time, "_Ed, say something to make him stop!_"

Armstrong didn't catch this exchange. "...Hm? Such hesitation! If you are not coming for me, then I am coming for you!!! Behold! The Artistic Physical Combat Training Secret No. 1 according to the Armstrong tradition!!!"

"**Noooooooo!!! Get away from meeeeeeee!!!**" Edward screamed as he ran for his dear life away from Armstrong, followed by Alphonse.

Alexander and Erica watched them run off. "Well..." Erica mumbled, trailing off. Suddenly, she seemed to get an idea. "Hey, why don't we spar?" she asked, glancing at her brother.

Alex did a take. "What!? Are you serious?" Erica nodded vigorously. "Yep! You with your Lockshield, and me with my lance! You can make a lance for me, right?"

Alexander, having no better idea, rolled his eyes and led Erica to another field.

* * *

They reached a small enclosure a short distance away from the Rockbell home. Alex jumped over the fence. He clapped his hands, placed them on the ground, and transmuted a lance out of the ground. He threw it to Erica, who had just gotten into the enclosure. 

Alex walked over to the other side of the arena and summoned his Lockshield. He changed to the Heartless Seal design for now. "You sure about this?" he asked. "I've had plenty of experience, and you know I'm not good at holding back."

Erica grinned, brandishing her lance. "Just give me a target to practice on. Parry my attacks however you like."

Alex was a bit surprised by this proposal. Erica just wanted him to be a punching bag? That was a strange thing for a sibling to ask for... But Alex had no time for contemplation. Erica was already coming at him, waving her lance around. She swung the blade at Alex, who managed to flip over it.

Erica ended up running past him, so she twirled her lance around and jabbed the butt of the lance behind her to try and hit Alex when he came down from his dodge. "Woah!" Alex shouted, blocking the attack with the Lockshield barely and jumping away from her. She was serious about this!

Erica turned around and charged at him again, starting a rapid barrage of slashes on Alex without restraint. The blows glanced off Alexander's Lockshield time and time again, but Alex was a bit surprised by Erica's enthusiasm in her attacks. Did she want to hurt him...?

One attack forced Alex to draw his Lockshield away from his body, leaving his abdomen open for an attack. Erica quickly thrust the lance blade first toward Alexander's stomach. Alex barely saw this coming, and he couldn't block it.

Acting on reflexes alone, Alexander grabbed the blade of the lance and stopped it, cutting up his palm a little. Using his other hand, he jerked the lance out of Erica's hands and twirled it so that the pole came crashing down of Erica's head.

Erica staggered back and held her head. "Hey! What'd you do that for!?"

Alex changed his Lockshield to the Crimson Catalyst, and placed the lance down on the ground and merged it back into the soil with alchemy. "Because that last strike could've been a fatal blow, Erica," he replied coldly. "You're getting better, but make sure to use that on your enemies rather than your allies, okay?"

Erica looked startled for a moment, then grinned. "Don't worry. I'll keep that in mind." Alex, suddenly confused by that remark, watched her walk out of the enclosure.

The Lockshield changed back to the Heartless Seal, and Alex uttered, "_Cura_." A green light surrounded him for a moment, and the cut on his hand disappeared. "Something's not right about this..." he muttered absent-mindedly before leaving the enclosure.

* * *

Back in the makeshift arena where the Elrics and Armstrong had fought, things had seemed to come down to a close. Alex and Erica arrived at the scene to see Armstrong laying down on the ground, and the Elrics on their knees, struggling to get their strength back. It looked like the Elrics had won... barely. "Hm..." Armstrong groaned. "Highly impressive, Brothers Elric!!!" 

Edward panted heavily. "A-Al... Are you... intact?" he gasped.

"I-I think I am..." Alphonse replied with effort. "But... That was a tough one."

Somehow, Armstrong was on his feet again, wiping tears out of his eyes. "The beautiful yet strong fraternal love!" he moaned, sobbing with joy. "The amazing combat moves born of your brotherly bond! **I am so moved!!!**"

The Elric brothers quickly stood up, fear giving them the adrenaline required to move. "Whoaaa!" Edward shouted. "Stay away from me!"

"Brothers Elric!!!" Armstrong announced, still sobbing. "Take this, my humble gift... to celebrate your victory over me!!!" He held out some sort of red camaraderie crest. Something of the Armstrong tradition, no doubt. When the Elrics didn't move, he muttered, "**Take it.**"

"Huh?" Edward mumbled, still frozen with fear. "Yech... Um... thanks, but..."

"**TAKE IT!**" Armstrong insisted, getting into another pose, his tears forgotten. Alphonse turned to Edward and whispered, "_Ed, I think you better do as he says, or else he's going to keep posing like that for the rest of the–_"

Edward nodded slowly. "_Ugh. Yeah, you got a point._ Okay, Major, I accept your gift. Thank you very–" But he cut himself off with a surprised noise. Something about the major's countenance was scaring him.

Armstrong had his arms outstretched, as if to embrace him... Yeah, that would do it. "Well done!" Armstrong congratulated him, returning to his sobs of joy. "Well done indeed, Edward Elric!!!"

And with that, Armstrong gave Edward the biggest hug he could manage. Almost immediately, Edward's scream rang out through the entire town: "**BWAAAAAGH!!!**" ...Followed by the sound of bones cracking.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	10. Strangers in the Caves

Chapter 9  
Strangers in the Caves

The party all met back in the Rockbell place that evening. Night had long since fallen, and it looked like things were beginning to settle down. Edward was relatively unscathed from the encounter with Armstrong earlier that day; he was just very sore. "Auntie," Edward began, looking at Pinako, "we're gonna catch the first train outta here tomorrow morning."

"Madam Pinako, Lady Winry," Armstrong stated, "thank you for your hospitality." Pinako grinned. "So you're leaving, eh? It's going to get awfully quiet around here again."

Kairi smiled at her. "Thanks for putting up with us these last couple of days."

Pinako shrugged back. "What was I going to do? Throw you out into the cold?"

Winry glanced at Edward's right arm worriedly. "Take good care of that automail, okay? Don't do anything stupid to put yourself in danger again."

Edward sighed. "Yes, ma'am," he replied automatically.

At that precise moment, someone burst through the front door of the house. It was apparently one of the neighbors. "We... we got trouble!!!" he shouted, breathing heavily. He must have run a long way.

"Great. More trouble," Riku muttered, standing up to approach the neighbor. "Alright, what's the matter at this hour?"

"Monsters...!" the man cried out hysterically. "I saw monsters on the loose!" This grabbed everyone's attention. "Monsters!?" Alphonse repeated in disbelief. "Ed... Sora..."

Edward ran over to the neighbor and glared at him. "What did these monsters look like?" he asked carefully. The neighbor was still hysterical. "They're black all over! And they move all creepy-like! I saw five or six of 'em around the hill caves!"

Sora folded his arms, thinking. "Well, that could point to either the Heartless or the Golems." Armstrong nodded. "Could these be the same monsters linked to the vanishings? Hmm, not just rumors, then."

Edward faced Armstrong, looking determined. "Major, we're gonna go check out the hill caves." Armstrong grunted. "Hm. Then I shall accompany you."

Edward scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, actually, I'd like for you to stay and look after everyone in the neighborhood."

Armstrong did a take. "What? But I should–" Alexander quickly cut him off. "Please, Major. Look after the Rockbells for us while we investigate. The seven of us should be more than enough, but there's the possibility that these monsters could roam the town as well."

The major finally nodded in agreement. "...Yes, perhaps that is the right course of action. Then I shall protect this town with all my heart, soul, and muscle!"

Winry looked worried. "Be careful, Ed..." Pinako nodded. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," she advised.

Edward grinned at them. "Don't worry. It shouldn't be a big deal. We'll be back in two shakes." Erica rolled her eyes. "And exactly how long is that?" she muttered. Alex glared at her for a moment, but let it go.

"Winry," Alphonse stated, "you stay here, okay? See you guys later!" After getting Edward a new trenchcoat, the party left the Rockbell house and went toward the hills.

Winry sighed. "Ed... Al... Everyone..."

* * *

With the bright night sky above them, the party reached the outlying hills. Edward came to an abrupt stop. "The hill caves... I had almost forgotten about that place." 

Alphonse turned toward the others. "We used to play a lot in there..." he explained. "Hide-and-seek, pretend expeditions, and even snipe hunts..."

Edward grinned. "Yeah, I remember when Winry helped make a secret hideout for the three of us..."

Alphonse mulled the memory over. "It's funny," he remarked. "It's only been a few years, but now it seems like such a long time ago..."

Erica rolled her eyes. "Let's get going, guys. You don't remember handing over your playground to any monster, do you?"

Alphonse nodded vigorously. "I sure don't!" And with no further comment, the party started walking up the long hill to the caves. After a minute or two, they reached the summit, where there was a light in front of the cave entrance.

Kairi happened to notice something. "Hey, look... There's people in front of the caves." Sure enough, there were about five townspeople standing under the light over the cave entrance. They didn't look quite... healthy, though.

Edward raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Huh? What are they doing here? Didn't they get the word about the monsters running around? Sheesh..."

The civilians didn't say a word as the party approached. They merely stared blankly at them, giving the Kingdom Hearts crew a bad vibe. Edward shouted at them, "What are you guys doing!? Get outta here unless you wanna wind up as lunch!"

Alphonse nodded, once again ignoring his brother's rudeness. "Please, evacuate quickly! We got word that monsters are prowling around–"

The strange man at the front of the group started moaning, though there were words in his slurred speech. "...or...durzzz...can...not...let...you...pass..."

Edward did a take, scowling at them. "Huh? What are you talking about? Stop screwin' around! Go home and sober up with some coffee, or..."

Riku placed a hand on Edward's shoulder. "Wait, Edward. These people... do they look like they're from Resembool?" Edward paused, regarding the strangers properly for the first time. "Huh... Now that you mention it, I don't think I've seen their faces before..."

"...or...durzzz..." the man started moaning again, started to wobble back and forth. But as he went on, his voice changed into something darker, until it was something completely different. "...can...not..._let...you..pass..._" Suddenly, all the people held their heads in pain, and moaned, "_...urgh...**graaaaahhhhh!!!**_" And just as suddenly, they began to shine with a red light.

Sora did a take. "Alex, what's happening!?" Alexander and Erica got into a fighting stance as the red light changed the strangers into inky black creatures with yellow eyes and red transmutation circles on their bodies. Much like the creatures from Lior, but more humanoid. After the Golems had transformed, pools of darkness appeared in front of the monsters, and Neoshadow Heartless sprung forth.

Edward took a step back, realizing what was going on. "What the... So these guys are the monsters!? Watch out, they're coming for us!"

Everyone brought out their weapons, and the fight quickly commenced. These new Golems (Alex decided to call them Golem Adults, to discern between the Golem Kids back in Lior; the game never gave the different types names) were pretty slow, but their large hands could pack quite a punch if there was enough momentum. Fortunately, the party was quick enough to take them out without much damage. The Neoshadows were far more tenacious, sometimes hiding in pools of darkness in the ground and popping up out of nowhere to attack again. They used that technique sparingly, though, so it was relatively easy to return the damage and finally defeat them.

Alexander noticed something about his own fighting style during the battle. The basic fighting moves he used while wielding the Crimson Catalyst design were somewhat different from the moves used with the Heartless Seal. He assumed that with the new game's power, he was using the new game's fighting style as well. From a gaming perspective, it could be said that he had switched to the Fullmetal Alchemist game's battle engine, rather than Kingdom Hearts II's battle engine.

The fight was now over, and the party pondered this recent development. "They looked a little different, but..." Alphonse reasoned, "they were basically the same as the ones we saw in Lior, weren't they?"

Edward grunted. "But they looked human at first... Geez, can these things transform themselves?" Erica nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it seems those human-looking types can disguise themselves as real people."

Sora folded his arms. "And what were they saying? Something about 'orr-durrz'..."

Edward thought this over. "'Orr-durrz'... Hors d'oeuvres..." An idea suddenly seemed to strike him. "Orders? Were they given orders by someone, and what were they?"

Alexander smirked. "I wonder. They seemed to say something about not letting anyone pass, so I'd say they might've been guarding the entrance to the cave."

Riku shrugged at Alex's deduction. "Well, no use pondering out here. Let's go inside... Maybe we can dig up some answers."

* * *

The party entered the dimly lit cave's first chamber. As soon as they reached the cave's lighting, Alphonse suddenly stopped. "...Ed!" he shouted, his voice echoing more than usual due to the cave. "It's... it's her!" 

Everyone looked ahead to see the mysterious woman they'd seen in Lior; the one that had given Edward the equally mysterious ring. The party ran over to her. "Hey! Who are you? And what do you want with us?" Edward demanded of the woman.

"Please... help... him..." the woman whimpered, apparently not being able to speak very much for some reason.

"'Help him'?" Edward repeated with confusion. "Who? Who're you talking about?" Erica chuckled at the response, but Alex quickly shushed her. Alex didn't want Erica blurting anything out, or even giving revealing clues as to what further details were. Those kinds of Interferences were far too large to be safe.

"If this continues..." the mysterious woman continued, "this town... will also be... in peril... Beyond these doors..." The woman turned to walk away.

"No, wait, stop–" Edward shouted, leading the chase as she disappeared around the corner. But he cut himself off as they rounded the corner, seeing no sign of the woman. She had completely disappeared.

"She's gone..." Kairi mumbled. Alexander shook his head. "That's actually not important right now. Look at that." He pointed at the large stone slab ahead of them. In the middle was a tall stone double door, decorated by many shafts protruding from a large circular depression in the center.

"Maybe that girl went through these doors?" Sora supposed. Alphonse didn't respond for a moment. "I don't remember these doors being here when we were little..." he explained.

Edward nodded. "Let's open 'em and see what's inside." Following his cue, everyone placed their hands on the doors and pushed as hard as they could. But the doors didn't give way even an inch. When their strength had been spent, the party stepped back and glared at the door. "Damn..." Edward muttered. "They won't budge, even with the _seven_ of us pushing on them..." He paused for a moment, then voiced the question on everyone's mind: "What's behind these things?"

Riku scowled. "That girl was asking us to do something... but what? She was more than a little vague..."

Edward suddenly grinned. "Well, my money's on the answer being behind those doors. Maybe I'll blast a hole through with alchemy!" Once again, Alphonse panicked at Edward's shortsighted idea. "No, no, bad idea! These caves are old, but not indestructible. You might trigger a cave-in..."

Edward sighed at his explosive idea being turned down. "But what else can we do?"

Erica grinned, and walked up to the doors. "Well, look," she stated simply. "Don't you think it's weird for a set of doors to have a round depression in the middle like this?" She traced a finger over the circular depression's edge.

Alexander shrugged. "Yeah. I guess it's not the most practical design..." Erica's point suddenly hit him. "Oh, right! Maybe it's a contraption for opening these doors! If there was something that would fit in the hole..."

The Fullmetal Alchemist grinned, seeing the point as well. "If that's the case, we might find that 'something' in these caves. Come on, guys, it's spelunking time."

Alex shook his head. "No, not yet. If I remember correctly, we would have to go looking for pieces of a slate that would fit in here, right?" he asked. Erica nodded, making Alex sigh. "Pieces that would most likely be guarded by Golems and Heartless in this cave. Kind of a long detour for opening an ancient locking mechanism if you ask me..."

Alexander trailed off, suddenly hit with an idea. "Wait a minute... a _locking_ mechanism..." He smirked. "Well, I am the _Lock_shield Master. Maybe I can manipulate this somehow." He summoned his Lockshield, switched to the Heartless Seal, and stared at the round depression for a few moments.

Sora walked over to him. "What do you plan to do?" Alex grinned widely. "Watch." He pointed the Lockshield at the doors and shouted, "Lock!" A bright blue beam shot out from the small keyhole in the Lockshield, and collided with the doors. Darkness formed itself in the door's depression, and created a dark green metal seal with a keyhole in the center.

Ignoring Edward, Alphonse, and Erica's shocked expressions, Alexander explained, "All I have to do is override the locking mechanism with a lock of my own created with the Lockshield. This lock can only be unlocked by two people, in fact." He glanced at Sora meaningfully.

Sora nodded, and summoned his Keyblade, pointing it at the new lock. Another bright beam shot out from the blade's tip, entering the lock's keyhole. A large clicking sound resonated from the impact. A bright blue light suddenly shone around the lock, and it spread to the seam between the doors. The light soon faded, and the stone doors and the lock split in half, sliding open for the party to walk through.

Edward did a take. "Well... that definitely beats pointless spelunking. Too bad I was looking forward to it, though..."

Erica shook her head wildly. "That's no longer important! What matters is that the door's open! Let's get going already!"

Edward nodded. "Yeah... Maybe we can figure out what the deal is about that woman in white... and those monsters in black." Alphonse lowered his gaze. "You make it sound like there's a connection between the girl and those creatures..." he remarked.

Sora shrugged. "Well, remember, we did see both of them back in Lior, too. I'd find it stranger if there weren't a connection, personally."

Alexander stepped forward. "Well, we have no idea..." Everyone glared at him. "Okay, so we have _little_ idea of what's inside. Stay sharp, everyone."

* * *

The party reached some kind of strange alcove. There was a large hole in the rock ceiling, with the moon's light shining down on the floor below. An incredibly strange design was on the ground. A red circle accompanied by symmetrical black markings. 

"What the..." Edward gasped, staring at the strange circle. "What is this place?"

Alex knelt down toward the circle. "It seems like a very vulgar transmutation circle... It's written in a style I don't recognize. I wonder what it's used for?" Alexander suddenly stood up, eyes wide. "Wait a minute... It might be..."

He was cut off by a weird hissing sound. Everyone was immediately alert. "Who's there?!" Riku quickly demanded, brandishing the Way to the Dawn and glancing from side to side.

Alphonse gasped. "Riku! Up there!" He pointed up at the opening in the ceiling. A strange figure floated in the air. As the figure descended onto the circle, they recognized it as the mysterious woman that had been present at the time of Cornello's death in Lior. "The Phantom..." Erica mumbled under her breath.

The mysterious woman turned toward the party and made the strange hissing noise again. "You're the one we saw in Lior..." Edward muttered with the dawning realization. "You're the thing that killed Cornello...!"

With the slightest gesture from her, two sparking discs of mud appeared beside the Phantom. Two forms pulled themselves out of the pools. They were Golem Adults. They seemed to be following the Phantom's command.

Sora noticed the connection. Summoning his Kingdom Key, he exclaimed, "Maybe she's responsible for all the monsters here... and in Lior!"

Almost on cue, three pools of darkness appeared in front of the Phantom, revealing three respective Neoshadows. Kairi summoned her Purity. "Maybe she's controlling the Heartless here, too!"

Alex summoned the Crimson Catalyst, and looked around nervously. "I don't know... The darkness leading them seems to be coming from somewhere else..." Alexander trailed off as he realized that he had become more sensitive to the darkness. While it had proved useful this time, it was a bad sign in the long run.

Edward took a step forward, glaring at the Phantom. "So who the hell are you, and just what are you trying to pull here?" he demanded angrily. "Answer me!!!"

The Phantom didn't respond for a moment, but then let out the most blood-curdling cry. "...**Graaaaahhhhh!!!**" It was hard to tell, but it seemed that all of the enemies were suddenly more alert, and had their sights on the party.

Slowly settling into a fighting stance, Alphonse remarked, "I don't think she's in the mood for an interrogation, Ed..."

This didn't help Edward's mood in the least. "Nice understatement – she's ready to kill us! We don't know what kind of powers she has, either. Be careful, everyone!"

The Phantom began using strange motions. Out of nowhere, dark pillars rose out of the ground. They seemed to have no purpose right now. Edward charged forward, but the Phantom was incredibly quick. She jumped high and out of the way as the Golems and Heartless charged at the party. The minions were dealt with in short order due to the combined strength of the fighters.

Sora charged at the Phantom at one end of the alcove, but she spun around and conjured up three fireballs, one of them throwing Sora back. The other two fireballs... ricocheted off of the pillars and hit some of the party members from the side! "So that's what they're for!" Alex groaned as he recovered.

Edward scowled. "Okay, that's it!" He clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. Out of the soil, he produced a large hammer. Brandishing the immense weapon, he swung it against a couple of the pillars, knocking them down to dust. Seeing a couple of newly spawned Heartless behind it, Edward brought the head of the hammer down on the enemies, crushing them into dark oblivion.

Riku slashed at the Phantom, but she jumped away again before the sword struck her. Unfortunately, she landed near Alexander, who took advantage of the mere moment's opening to land a couple of hits. She was quick to recover and jump away again, but now they had a strategy. Once she retreated, there was a moment's opening where they could damage her.

The battle dragged on, and the favor started to lean toward the Phantom's. Golems and Heartless were coming in waves, and the Phantom kept summoning pillars. The pillars not only made the fireballs ricochet, but it often made swinging weapons a big pain in the neck. Even Edward's hammer didn't work fast enough to keep up.

"We need some kind of Limit!" Alex realized, shouting the fact over the echoing sounds of battle in the cave. Sora and Riku glanced at each other, and nodded. The two of them rose up into the air, and started a mad flurry of slashes against the group of enemies around them. They moved incredibly quickly; gravity didn't seem to work for a moment. After a few flurries, they combined their energies and created thirteen energy swords around themselves, creating a spinning ring of blades that hacked away at the Golems, Heartless, and pillars in a wide radius.

For the finale, Sora and Riku threw their Keyblades up into the air. The two hovered there and began to shine brightly, beams of energy circling between them. A great force was created as the tips of the Keyblades pointed at each other, making a shockwave of light energy that ripped up the Heartless in the area, and the Golems to a degree. A bright flash occurred, and the Limit stopped. The cave was now completely clear, and the Phantom seemed like she'd taken all the damage she could.

Screaming in pain, the Phantom clutched at her face as she fell down to the ground. Her body continued to writhe as the party looked on, worn out by the ordeal. As the Phantom finally looked back up at them, Edward muttered, "Just what exactly are you, anyway? Are you even human? Or something..."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps from the shadows, and a man appeared from the entrance. The man had long silver hair that extended over one side of his pale face. He wore only a black trenchcoat, black slacks, and dark boots. Overall, a dark outfit. He also had a strange tattoo on his chest.

"Huh? Who are you!?" Edward demanded. He realized that the man was going toward the Phantom. "Stay back!"

But the Phantom didn't attack him. Instead, she looked up to him with an air that demanded pity, like a hurt pet looking up to its master. The strange man knelt down to her. "You poor thing..." he mumbled. "All these bruises and scars... Don't worry, I'll make it all better."

The man clapped his hands, a ringing sound resonating from the impact. When he placed his hands on the Phantom, a bright violet light washed over her, so bright that the party had to shield their eyes. When the light faded, all of the Phantom's wounds had completely disappeared.

Edward growled as the Phantom and the strange man stood up together. This man was on the Phantom's side! "What do you think you're doing, huh!?" he shouted as he charged toward them. He raised his fist to punch at them...

But their bodies darkened and began to melt away. Edward just passed right through the muck they had become, and sprawled out over the floor from the loss of balance. Worried, Alphonse shouted, "Are you okay!?" as he ran over to him.

Alex stared at the pile of mud that the Phantom and the man had left in their place. Sora and the others also looked shocked. "They just... melted away..." Kairi mumbled.

"Ack! Alex!!" Erica's voice called out. Alexander turned around, and did a take at what he saw. A dark portal had appeared, and a man in a dark cloak was dragging her into it! Alexander couldn't see the face under the hood of the cloak, but he could have sworn that it looked familiar... The strange figure and Erica started to pass through the portal.

"No!" Alexander exclaimed, dashing toward them and preparing his Lockshield for an attack. Right before he reached the two of them, the portal disappeared, taking the stranger and Erica along with it. Alex's momentum carried him until he crashed into the wall, and he fell back to his rump.

Edward groaned, "Damn," as he got up from the floor. He and Alphonse looked back at the pile of mud, which had completely seeped back into the ground. "Why do I get the feeling this is getting worse, Al?" Edward asked hesitantly.

"**Augh!!!**" Alex screamed, the full force of what had just transpired hitting him like a freight train. "She can't be...! She can't be...!!!" He slammed his fist on the ground. "She's gone! My sister's gone!!!"

This got everyone's attention. "What!?" Riku exclaimed in surprise. "Where'd she go?" Alexander stood up, his legs shaking in his shocked state. "She... someone... She was kidnapped somehow. Dragged through a dark portal by a man in a cloak. I couldn't see his face..."

Edward got up and ran over to him. "You think it was the same guy that healed that strange phantom?" Alex shook his head. "No... it was someone who used a dark portal. Something from the Kingdom Hearts universe... Not this universe... Not something I recognize, though..."

Alex sat down against the wall, trying to get over the shock of what had happened. The others pondered these new developments. "But that other guy... He used alchemy, right?" Alphonse wondered, looking at his brother. "And he did it the same way as you and Alexander..."

Edward scowled. "But how can that guy just disappear like that? Is he a monster in disguise too? What the hell is going on!?"

"Looks like we found more questions than answers..." Riku muttered darkly. Alexander didn't say anything. He'd reached that stage of grief.

Edward shook his head at Riku's comment. "I wouldn't say that, Riku. Look." He picked up red fragments of a stone off the ground. Sora did a take at the sight. "What? Aren't these... pieces of the crimson stone!? What are these doing here?"

Alex stood up. "There's gotta be a connection between that pair of freaks, the crimson stones, and the kidnapping of my sister..." Staring at all of them with new determination, he shouted, "We're gonna get to the bottom of this!"

* * *

_The next morning, in the Rockbell home's front yard..._

The party and Major Armstrong faced Pinako as they prepared to leave. "Thanks for everything, Auntie," Edward thanked her.

Alphonse sighed in relief. "I don't think you have to worry about the monsters anymore. Nothing's happened since last night." Armstrong nodded. "Please rest assured, Madam Pinako. I've requested that East Headquarters send security officers forthwith."

Pinako smiled. "Glad to hear it. Thank you all." Glancing at Alexander, she added, "I do hope you find your sister."

Alex tried to smile back, but couldn't find the willpower. "Yeah," he replied at length. "I hope so too." But, in honesty, he didn't harbor much hope. That guy who had kidnapped her... he seemed to be the source of the darkness that had been controlling the Heartless in the cave. If his sister was in the hands of such a man...

Alexander also had another thing on his mind. His darkness had started... acting up lately. Since last night, to be specific. It was a darkness he recognized... like his Anti Form was trying to break free and take control or something. Right now, Alex suffered mild pains in his head now and then as his Anti self struggled, but in the future...?

He was brought back to reality by Pinako talking. "Oh, by the way... About those strange men in the caves that you were talking about..."

Alphonse looked up at her. "Did you find anything out?" Pinako shook her head. "No. I asked everyone in town, but no one's seen men like the ones you described."

Sora folded his arms. "Is that so..." Everyone seemed to be in deep thought about this.

"Oh, but never mind that," Pinako added. "Don't you all have a train to catch?" Everyone suddenly panicked at those words. "Oh, crap!" Edward shouted. "We gotta go!"

Pinako grinned. "Goodbye, boys. You wanna say bye to Winry? Shall I go wake her up?"

Edward grinned back. "Nah, don't bother. Once she gets up, she'll just give me hell about not getting myself smashed to pieces, and blah blah blah."

"Ed! Al! All of you!" Winry's voice called out from the balcony. Everyone looked up, and saw that she was waving at them, but she was wearing a white dress of sorts, and her hair was in a ponytail. She looked a lot less menacing now. "See you all later!" she called out.

Edward paused for a moment, then nodded at her. "Yeah." Alphonse waved as they all turned to leave. "Bye!"

The party of Edward, Alphonse, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Alexander started walking up the path away from the Rockbell house. Alex smiled at the Elrics, thinking it was pretty lucky for them to have such friends to retreat to here in Resembool. _I'd better make sure I don't lose my family either,_ Alex thought to himself. Thinking of the man who had kidnapped Erica, he thought, _Whoever did it, he seems to have dark powers that belong to the Kingdom Hearts universe. But it's not anyone I recognize. I'd better be careful. It seems an... **internal** Interference is at work here._

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	11. Bord'wan, the Dead Village

Chapter 10  
Bord'wan, the Dead Village

"...And that man was able to use alchemy by simply clapping his hands together. Just like Edward and Alexander," Kairi finished. Edward and Alex grunted in the affirmative simultaneously.

"Mysterious monsters, a mysterious transmutation circle, and a mysterious alchemist. One mystery after another," Mustang grumbled. If it wasn't already apparent, the party were now back in East Headquarters, relating to the Flame Alchemist about the events within the Resembool caves.

"Hmph," Riku mumbled. "And what about that guy who kidnapped Erica? He seemed to have control over the darkness, much like... Xehanort did." Alex gave Riku a strange look. What was he implying?

"Surely we can assume the alchemist to be the mastermind," Mustang deduced. "But I still don't get his connection to this crimson stone... or the intentions of the man who kidnapped Erica Karsath. There's no doubt that the appearance of both of them was no coincidence."

Sora frowned. "We found pieces of the crimson stone after we beat that monster... I'm not sure how, but they're probably using the crimson stone for something." Everyone nodded in agreement.

The door to Mustang's office opened, and everyone turned to see Riza Hawkeye enter the room. "Pardon me for interrupting, Colonel," she stated.

"What's the matter?" Mustang asked, as they all suddenly got a foreboding feeling.

As Hawkeye approached Mustang's desk, she replied, "We just received a transmission from Lieutenant Havoc, who is investigating the village of Bord'wan. It seems those monsters have appeared in the village."

Everyone's foreboding feeling had been fulfilled. "What!?" Alex exclaimed, his full attention on the lieutenant. "Are you serious?" Mustang quickly demanded.

The stone cold expression that remained on Hawkeye's face indicated that she was completely serious, as usual. "Our transmission was cut off midway. We've been unable to contact the village since, so details are sketchy."

Edward scowled. "We can't contact them...? Colonel!"

The colonel grimaced at the news. "Hmm... I'm sure something has happened, but the military can't make a move on such scant information."

"Huh!?" Alphonse exclaimed in surprise. "You're not going to send anyone out to help!?" Mustang shook his head. "I only meant that we can't make a major ordeal out of it. I'm not going to leave them hanging."

Hawkeye nodded. "Understood, sir. Then I shall head to Bord'wan myself." Mustang nodded back at her. "Good. But it might be dangerous to go alone. Take Breda and Falman with you, and–"

"Wait, Colonel!" Edward shouted, cutting him off. "Let us go with Lieutenant Hawkeye!" Mustang glared at them. "You and Al?"

Edward chuckled. "Not just me and Al. Sora and the others will come along too." Hawkeye shot a sharp look at them. "Edward, that's nonsense. We don't even have a full grasp of the situation here. It's too risky."

Ignoring her, Edward continued, "Colonel, don't you see? We might find something about the crimson stones! Let us go with her!"

Alex suddenly snapped his fingers. "And if you suspect that the Golems are a part of this, then there'll also be Heartless. They seem to be working together," he added with a grimace. "Anyway, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and I are the only ones who can actually fight the Heartless and Nobodies. However, those that fight in affiliation with us can damage them too. It's kind of a relative thing."

Mustang considered these ideas. "Hmm. Alchemy and the Heartless do seem to play a part in all this. Perhaps sending Fullmetal and the other-worlders along isn't such nonsense after all."

Hawkeye scowled. "...Colonel!" she chided him. She apparently didn't want the extra baggage.

"Fine," Mustang stated, ignoring Hawkeye. "You shall accompany the lieutenant on this mission as a State Alchemist."

Edward cheered. "Alright! Woo-hoo!" At this, Mustang quickly added, "But be on your best behavior. Got it?"

* * *

Hawkeye led the way to Bord'wan's village gate. Night had nearly descended, and the moon was up and shining, giving a dark, dreary look over the town. As they approached the gate and got a glimpse of what was inside, Kairi suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Is this really Bord'wan...!?" she gasped.

Edward stared through the archway. "What the hell happened here? The town's completely trashed!" Every building was in some state of disrepair, and huge dark stains were on most of every surface. "It looks like we're walking through a ghost town," Hawkeye remarked.

The party began to walk through the town, glancing from side to side at the ruined structures as they walked down the long street. Crows started cawing from the wooden beams that remained of some of the buildings' ceilings, their calls being the only sound coming from the town. Everywhere they looked, they saw broken wood and stone, and blood stains.

"This is awful!" Alphonse mumbled, sounding more than a little scared. Edward nodded slowly at that. "Yeah... it's like a tornado and a battalion came through..."

"It's far worse than what was reported to headquarters," Hawkeye agreed. "We'd better quicken our pace and find Lieutenant Havoc."

At that moment, Alphonse fidgeted and bumped into Edward. After the momentary recovery, Edward glared up at him and grumbled, "What's the matter, Al? You forget to walk in a straight line? Stop bumping into me!"

"S-sorry," Alphonse apologized hesitantly, still shaking a little. "These spooky places give me the creeps..."

Edward pondered this for a moment, then chuckled at the irony of it. "I can't believe you got the heebie-jeebies, Al," he remarked playfully, still chuckling. "You're a suit of armor! Look at the Lieutenant, walkin' all bravely, leading the way, and she's just a girl–"

In one fluid motion, Hawkeye drew her pistol and aimed the barrel at the top of Edward's head, startling all of them. Edward cowered under the lieutenant's serious gaze, putting his hands up in defense. "W-w-w-w-woah!! Put that down, Lieutenant! I didn't mean to insult you in any way, I swear! I just meant to cushion–"

Hawkeye fired five shots right over Edward's head, making him flinch each time. The Kingdom Hearts crew quickly retreated over to the side of the street, and Alphonse cowered to the other side, on his knees and holding his hands over his head, whimpering.

When the shots passed, a thumping sound was heard behind them. Alphonse and the quartet looked, still a bit too stunned to say anything. Edward quickly made sure that he was still alive, and looked back behind him. A Golem Adult was laying on the ground face-first, with several holes along its side.

"Talk about reflexes..." Alexander muttered, realizing what Hawkeye had intended in the first place. All of a sudden, they heard movement in the street. More Golem Adults slowly walked out from alleyways and houses, eventually surrounding the party. A few Armored Soldier Heartless also appeared to join the fight.

"We're surrounded!" Sora exclaimed, summoning his Keyblade. Following his lead, Riku, Kairi, and Alexander summoned their respective weapons. Riku grumbled sarcastically, "Why can't they make all this noise when they're hiding...?"

Hawkeye loaded a fresh clip into her pistol. "No choice, everyone. Get ready for a fight!" Edward and Alphonse immediately got into fighting stances.

Alexander got an idea as one of the Armored Knights approached him. He clapped his hands together, and placed one on the edge of his Lockshield. In bright green sparks, the blade lengthened until it had extended into a very sharp point. It now looked much like Edward's automail armblade.

Alex brought the new blade of the Lockshield up against the sword of the Armored Knight. With some difficulty, he parried the sword and stabbed the Heartless clean through. As the creature dissipated away from his blade, some Golem Adults focused on him. Alex was having a difficult time adjusting to this new fighting style, so it looked like he was going to be attacked.

Suddenly, a rapid barrage of bullets hit the sides of the Golems, knocking them away. Alex glanced at Hawkeye and grinned at the sight of her dual pistols. Having her in the party would turn out to be a great boon. Alex got into a fighting stance (which he had to change to accommodate his new blade), and charged at the rest of the Heartless.

Since the others weren't nearly as handicapped as Alex was, they had fared quite a bit better. With their combined strength, the fight was resolved with little harm to the party. They met back in a circle to discuss this new turn of events. The implications of the Golems' and the Heartless's presence here had shaken a few of them. "I don't want to believe this..." Kairi said shakily. "Those monsters were the ones... or the things... responsible?"

Edward shivered at the thought. "Brrr. And to think this could have happened in Resembool, too..."

Hawkeye grimaced. "There's no time to waste. We have to find Lieutenant Havoc." As they faced the road ahead, a loud roar echoed over the forest in the distance, scaring birds out of the trees.

Alphonse was scared out of his wits. "Oh... oh... Ed!!! D-d-did you hear that!? Please tell me you heard that!" Edward, however, was still in control of himself. "Calm down, Al!" he replied. "I heard it, too... Where'd that roar come from?"

Hawkeye held her pistols at the ready. "There's a good chance that those creatures are still nearby. Stay sharp, everyone."

Alex grinned, and held up his Lockshield, showing off the new blade. "I think this is sharp enough." Edward stared at him for a moment. He wasn't impressed. "Ripoff," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

Naturally, they encountered more Golems down the street. They met a few new types as well. There were small Golems that were nothing but a head and a tail; just small specters hovering in the air, occasionally shooting fireballs or trying to chomp on someone with its somewhat sharp teeth. They were annoying, but had little health. Alex called these Golem Pets.

Fighting through these and more Golem Adults, the party eventually reached the town square. They were met with no more enemies for now, but they saw something strange on the ground. A strange black transmutation circle, similar in design to the one they had found in the Resembool caves. "Why is this here...?" Riku wondered aloud.

Alex growled in annoyance. "Great, another strange circle. We've seen this before." Edward cursed as he recalled the design. "Damn. It's the same as the one we saw in the caves at Resembool."

Hawkeye scanned the ground in the circle, noticing a few large dark stains. "There's blood everywhere..." Kairi glanced at them as well, albeit hesitantly. "Those bloodstains look..." She paused. "Oh no, Alex. Do you think...?"

Alexander nodded. "If this is human blood, then that sonofa..." He quickly censored himself. Edward's foul mouth was beginning to have a bad influence. "...That strange guy we saw in the caves must have transmuted the villagers into something!"

The lieutenant suddenly gasped. "Shh! Quiet!" Another roar sounded out from beyond the trees.

Sora jumped in surprise. "There it is again! That roar–" He was cut off by the sound of two gunshots echoing over the trees shortly after. "Huh!?" he mumbled when the sound stopped.

"Gunshots!" Edward exclaimed. Hawkeye nodded. "There must be survivors. Come on, everyone!" They started heading for the south road, the general direction of the gunshots.

"Wait!" Alex shouted. Sora, Riku, and Kairi immediately stopped. They recognized that tone. Hawkeye and the Elrics reluctantly turned to face him. "What is it now?" Edward whined. "We're kinda in a hurry!"

Alex faltered for a moment, then blurted out, "The south road's not gonna take us all the way there. There's a bridge next to the mayor's house that's been cut off, and there's no other way to get across."

Hawkeye sighed. "Then what are our options?" Alexander thought about that for a moment. "The east road is probably our only chance. It's a bit of a detour, but it's better than backtracking all the way back here, believe me."

Everyone turned toward the only other path in the village square, but stopped immediately. They saw some people standing in the middle of the strange circle. "Ed!" Alphonse shouted with joy. "There are people here after all!"

Riku looked a bit skeptical. "Were those there before...?" he muttered under his breath.

Edward was too excited to notice the inconsistency. "You're right! We're in luck... Good to know we've got some survivors." He waved at the townsfolk. "Hey! Are you guys alright?" he shouted at them. The Elric brothers started running toward them.

The lieutenant mumbled something under her breath. Something didn't feel right. The Kingdom Hearts crew had similar doubts.

One of the strange women spoke up. "...Help... me..." she moaned. Alex almost automatically got into a fighting stance. But he didn't quite remember the game as well as Erica did... so he wasn't that sure about this.

Edward was still oblivious as he faced the strangers. "Boy, are we glad to see you guys! No need to worry, you're back in safe hands."

Alphonse nodded vigorously. "Ed, let's see who needs help!" He approached one of the strange men. "Are you okay? Can you walk?" he asked.

The strange woman from before repeated her words. "...Help... me..." Hawkeye's grip on her pistols tightened.

Much to Alex's annoyance, Edward still wasn't getting the bad vibe. "Huh? What's the matter? Can't move? Can't blame you – we were nearly scared stiff, too." Alphonse nodded at his brother's statement again, though a bit hesitantly. "No need to be frightened anymore. C'mon, let's–"

"Boys! Get away from them, now!" Hawkeye ordered. The Elrics were confused. "Huh..." Edward mumbled. "Lieutenant, what are you–"

"...Please... help..." the strange woman moaned again. Alphonse looked worried, as much as a suit of armor can look worried. "But they're asking for our help, Lieutenant! We can't leave them–"

"Do it now!!!" Hawkeye barked, bringing her pistols up. Edward backed away and stared at her. "What the... Lieutenant!? What's gotten into you?"

The townsfolk started swaying from side to side... in a frighteningly familiar manner. "...Kill... _humans..._" the woman moaned once more, her voice slowly becoming deeper. Kairi gasped.

"**_Graaaaahhhhh!!!_**" the woman screamed in a deep voice, holding her head. A ring of red light enveloped her, slowly moving across her body until she had completely transformed into a Golem Adult. The other people transformed similarly, until they were completely confronted by Golems.

"Oh, no!" Sora exclaimed, summoning his Keyblade. "Alex, are they...?" Alexander nodded, settling into his stance. "Yeah. More Golems in disguise! Looks like we're on the menu now!"

"They're coming for us!" Hawkeye warned them. "Watch out!" Alex charged forward first, but noticed something about these Golems. It seemed that the Golem Adults came in different varieties. There were the regular Adults that would just hit you with their heavy arms or jump-kick you. Then there seemed to be these Cannon Adults that had cannons in the place of the left hand, which could shoot fireballs at them. Lastly, there were Slasher Adults with clay blades for arms, which they could slash you up with or stick them into the ground from a distance to have them pop up near you.

Still, five on seven was no challenge, and the fight was over soon enough. Hawkeye sighed as the last Golem Adult dissolved into a pile of mud. "So these monsters really can transform into humans..."

Alphonse looked solemn. "And just when we thought we'd found some survivors, they turned out to be more of those things in disguise..."

Edward realized what Hawkeye had done earlier. "You saved our lives, Lieutenant." Alphonse nodded. "Yeah, that was too close for comfort. But how did you know, Lieutenant? How could you tell those people were monsters?"

Hawkeye shrugged. "Chalk it up to intuition. A gut feeling, if you will..."

Edward scowled. "A gut feeling, huh? I remember the same kind of reaction when I first saw Scar." Alphonse rubbed the back of his helmet in embarrassment. "Um, in your case, Ed, I think it's more like an acquired sense from all that brawling... or even an animal instinct!"

The serious nature of the situation gained some levity for a moment. "Who're you callin' an animal?" Edward retorted.

Nonetheless, Hawkeye considered Alphonse's words. "...Perhaps mine is an acquired sense as well," she admitted. "One that's been embedded in me as a soldier. It's useless to civilians, but a necessity for me – so I can protect those I care about..." She smiled for a moment.

Sora was a little confused, knowing he was missing something here. "Uh... Lieutenant...?"

Hawkeye's stern expression returned. "Let's go. There's no time to waste."

* * *

The East Road was littered with a new kind of Golem. These were huge ape-like creatures with long arms and short legs. One of their main tactics was to roll straight into their enemies from a distance. And to accompany their large size, they had a large amount of health as well. These Alex called Golem Elders.

It was a long road, and it was simply littered by Golems. Even the party of seven had a hard time making it through without difficulty. Sora had to spend some time waiting for Curaga during the trip. Alex couldn't use Curaga because he was using the Crimson Catalyst, and he felt it was too tedious to constantly switch back and forth between the designs.

But at last, they reached the outskirts of Bord'wan. There weren't any more Golems in sight for now. Through the fog that had settled over the town they saw a large house. It was a two story establishment that had a back door leading to a path further away from the town. The door was open and the windows were in disrepair.

"Hey, look at this house..." Alphonse pointed out. Alex sighed. "This far away from the village? It's not in very good shape..."

"But nothing's broken," Riku noted. "Maybe this place was too far away for the Golems and Heartless to find." Sora realized what that could mean. "Maybe someone's still inside..." he supposed.

Hawkeye nodded. "It's possible. Let's go inside and have a look." And without another word, the party entered the secluded house. They walked through the hall a while, then turned through a door to enter a large library. "Hellooo?" Edward called out. "Anybody home?" When nobody answered, he mumbled, "Stupid question, I guess."

Alexander scowled. "Either they already escaped, or–"

Alphonse cut him off. "Guys! Look at this picture!" He was holding up a photograph he had found from one of the heavily laden desks. It was a picture of a wall of hieroglyphs, also depicting strange black creatures and weird circles. "What the hell..." Edward mumbled.

Alex nodded. "They do look kinda like those black creatures..." He looked around at the library. "I wonder if we can't find some more information." He walked over to a bookshelf and slid a few books off of it. "And it's not just that picture," he added. "All of these books seem to be on these creatures. This is some heavy duty research material."

Kairi looked nervous. "You don't think this person made these monsters, do you...?"

Sora shook his head. "I don't think so, Kairi... I don't see any transmutation circles or the crimson stone lying around."

Edward nodded. "I don't think the research was so much about making the monsters, but studying their roots... their ancient history." Alphonse shuddered, his armor clinking a little with the motion. "Monster history...?"

Hawkeye looked up at the two stories of the study. "In any case, we should see if we can find any additional clues in this house."

After a few minutes of searching through the library, the party regrouped and pieced together the documents and photographs they had found.

_"The Civilization of Lebis"_

_Lebis was an ancient civilization that flourished almost 5000 years ago, with the royal capital of Siam-Sid as its center. Its glory lasted over a millenium._

_Lebis's royalty created the golems through the grand arcanum. This resulted in the civilization's rapid development._

_"The Grand Arcanum of Lebis"_

_Lebis's prosperity was a direct result of the grand arcanum, which enabled the creation of golems. It also made for advances in the culture's architecture, military, waterworks, and agriculture._

_Ironically, it was that same grand arcanum that brought this glory to a sudden and tragic end._

_"The Ring of Lebis"_

_This ring, which certified kingship, was passed down through generations of Lebis's royalty. The ring was ornamented with distinct patterns and ancient runes._

_Both the latest science of the day and the grand arcanum were employed in its creation. The ring functioned as a key to the palace._

_"Golems: Overview"_

_A creation of the grand arcanum of Lebis, originally intended to be used as slaves._

_The primary ingredient was soil, making a golem's body as black as lead. They seemed to possess a certain level of intelligence, with an ability to grasp basic human speech._

_"Golems: Characteristics"_

_Different types of golems could be made for various applications._

_The life of a golem could last from a few hours to several years. However, the Golem would eventually revert back to soil._

"And look at this," Alphonse remarked, holding out a brown book. "This isn't a reference book... it's a diary."

Alex immediately snatched it. "It looks awfully old... I wonder if it belongs to whoever lives here." He opened up the book and began to read.

_My studies on Lebis begin today. The road ahead may be long, but I hope to make archaeological history through my findings._

_Met a traveling alchemist. Interested in Lebis's arcane art of golems, he says. Never seen a man with eyes more determined – and sad, really._

_On the road with the alchemist Crowley. His stories are fascinating, for I have no knowledge of the alchemic practice._

_Crowley finally told me why he is interested in the golem arts. Now I know what he hides behind those sad eyes of his..._

_We have solved the mystery behind the arcane art of golems. This should prove relevant not only to archeology, but to alchemy as well._

_I have found happiness.  
For Crowley, for me – and for her._

_Is that the way you wanted it?  
Is that really what you were looking for?  
Snap out of it, Crowley...!_

Alexander pulled a torn photograph from the book, and placed the book down on the desk. The picture was of a young man with short hair patting the back of another figure, but the other's face had been torn from the photograph. The picture was in black and white. "Look... This picture was stuck between the pages," Alexander explained. "It looks almost as old as the diary."

"Do you think that guy in the picture is the owner of this house?" Alphonse supposed. Edward shrugged. "Well, there's no way of knowing for certain, but we'll go on that assumption for now."

As soon as all was said, the party heard another loud roar, coming from somewhere behind the house. More gunshots followed. Alphonse gasped. "Ed! Did you hear that!?"

Edward nodded. "That came from right outside!" Hawkeye readied her pistols. "Those gunshots... Somebody's putting up a fight! We're going, everybody – hurry!"

* * *

The path behind the house led to a fenced-in cemetery. They saw a large Golem in the center of the cemetery. It was a large lizard-shaped creature, but its reptilian head seemed to have been put on upside down, with its eyes below its mouth.

The Golem was facing two men. One was an old man with blond hair and a hat on, and the other was a military officer. The military officer was clutching his right arm. "It's Lieutenant Havoc!" Edward exclaimed. Alphonse noticed the other man. "There's someone next to him, too!"

Alexander summoned the Lockshield, signaling the others to get ready for a fight. "Lieutenant, cover the civilian and Havoc! We'll draw the attention of this boss and defeat it in short order!"

Before the Lieutenant could object, Alexander charged at the Golem, with the Kingdom Hearts crew and the Elrics right behind him. "Hey!" Edward shouted. "Haven't you heard that size doesn't matter? Come over here and I'll show you what I mean!"

This seemed to get the monster's attention. The beast let out a shrill cry, and the battle was on. Immediately, the Golem launched eggs from its back. "Edward! Transform these before Golem Kids pop out of them!" Alex shouted, running over to one and transmuting it into a stick of dynamite. He picked it up and lobbed it at the Golem. The resulting explosion distracted it long enough for Riku, Kairi, and Alphonse to land several hits in.

The Golem swiped with its claws when it recovered, knocking back the fighters that were within range. Sora shouted, "_Thundaga_!" and a large bolt of thunder struck the Golem. Alex ran up to the beast and clapped his hands together, placing them on the ground. A row of Stonespikes rose up and impaled the beast, knocking it around even more.

The Golem stood up on its hind legs and started gathering a red energy in its mouth. Alex panicked. "Keep your distance, everyone!" he yelled. The Golem started spitting large fireballs at them. Each big fireball split into three smaller ones, making it difficult for the party to dodge them all.

"How about one of those combination attacks?" Edward shouted over the sounds of the battle. Kairi nodded at him, and started rushing toward the Golem. Edward clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. A column of stone rose up to launch Kairi up into the air. At the same time, a row of spikes appeared in the path between Edward and the Golem, the row eventually extending to stab the Golem from under it. While the Golem was dazed, Kairi fell down on the Golem Keyblade-first, impaling it with the added force of gravity.

In an explosion of dark blue soil, the Golem dissipated into nothingness. Kairi picked up her Keyblade and smiled at Sora, who smiled back. Edward grinned. "Well, that takes care of that!" he cheered.

Alphonse looked over to the sidelines and saw that Hawkeye, Havoc, and the civilian were also alright. "Whew. Looks like everyone else is safe, too. That's a relief."

"All in a day's work, right?" Alex added with a grin. But that grin quickly faded. "But I wonder how a Golem so large... hm?" He trailed off, looking down.

"What is it, Alex?" Riku asked him. Alexander growled in response. "Here they are again. Look." He picked up pieces of a ruby stone off of the ground.

Sora gasped. "Pieces of the crimson stone!" Alex glared at the stone as if he were interrogating it. "Monsters created by the arcane arts and pieces of the crimson stone... What's the connection...?"

Alphonse nodded. "What are monsters from an ancient civilization doing in our time, anyway?" Edward nearly lost it. "...Answers! I need answers!"

The crows cawed behind them and flew away, drawing everyone's attention. A dark figure of mud rose up behind them until it faded away to become the strange man from the Resembool caves.

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	12. Danger from the Past

Chapter 11  
Danger from the Past

"That's him!" Alphonse exclaimed, staring at the strange man at the other end of the cemetery. "The guy we saw!" Edward nodded. "Yeah... from Resembool..." he muttered.

Alex looked back at the civilian who had been guarded by the lieutenants. His eyes were wide in... recognition?

Oblivious to the stranger, Edward remarked, "So... you're the one who did this to the village, aren't you? Were you trying to do the same thing to Resembool, too? What is your purpose for all of this!? What was that transmutation circle for!?"

The stranger didn't seem to hear the words, but remarked instead, "I had a feeling we'd meet again someday..."

Edward scowled. "Damn it, pal... you've got a bad habit of being cryptic!" He clapped his hands together and transmuted his automail arm, creating the armblade out of the metal. Shaking the blue sparks off, he started to charge at the stranger. Alphonse panicked. "No, wait!"

Alexander could almost see a smirk on the stranger's face. "No circles... Impressive, young alchemist..." The stranger grimaced and clapped his hands together as well, placing them on the ground. Out of violet sparks, the grass beneath him lengthened and hardened, creating a mass of giant blades that were stretching for Edward.

Edward clapped his hands again and transmuted the ground, creating a stone slab in front of himself. The grass blades stabbed into it, but didn't penetrate. Edward rolled to the side and started running forward again, as the strange alchemist created more blades to counterattack. Edward dodged some of them and ran to the side, trying to flank the stranger. He jumped up and over some more grass spikes, and landed right in front of the strange man.

Edward tried to stab at the stranger with his armblade, but the stranger merely held his hand out. The blade impacted the man's palm, but didn't pierce anything at all. It was like he'd stabbed at solid steel. Edward struggled against the man's hand, but he was pushed back a little.

"Interesting..." the stranger remarked. "You have the same eyes..." While Edward was surprised by this remark, the stranger swept the blade away and kicked Edward's chest, launching him all the way back to the party. "Edward!" Alphonse shouted, running over to him.

Alexander glared at the strange alchemist. "That's it, enough playing around! I'll take you on!" He started to charge, but something made him stop in his tracks.

"Aw, c'mon Alex! You know better than to pick fights with your peers!" a girl's voice called out. It was familiar... but it had a frightening edge to the playful tone. A dark portal appeared beside the strange alchemist, and a girl stepped out of it. Alex gasped. This girl had long blond hair with streaks of silver in it, and she wore a black sweatshirt, a black trenchcoat lined with red, as well as black slacks and black boots. But the face was familiar. And the new outfit made her look a whole lot darker.

"Erica Karsath..." the stranger muttered, barely giving her a glance. "You arrived later than I expected." Erica shrugged. "Geez, don't give me that tone, Jack Crowley. I can't help it if Dilan is picky about when I appear..."

Alexander just about lost it. "Erica!?"

His sister grinned at him. "Well, if it isn't my idiot brother. Surprised to see you're still alive. I thought that the Golems and the Heartless together would give you all enough trouble, but I guess you've got too much help." She did a mock sigh. "Can't do anything without your buddies, can you?"

Alex's jaw dropped. "Erica! What are you doing? Don't tell me you're siding with this guy!" Erica's grin got even wider. "Why not? After all, with a little bit of help it could be the winning side. Besides..." she added, as her hand was covered in darkness. A red lance adorned with the Heartless emblem near the blade appeared in her hand. "Perhaps I'd be better off without you."

"What!?" Alexexclaimed in shock, but not before Erica had already started her charge. She was surprisingly fast, and Alex only barely managed to block the strike with his shield's blade. Erica smirked at the extension. "So, you've taken a page out of Edward's book, have you? Sad, really. I get over my obsession, and suddenly you're the one following Ed around."

Erica jumped back and clapped her hands together, placing them on the ground. More violet sparks colored the grass, and several rows of Stonespikes rose up out of the ground, jabbing Alex in the gut and launching him back to his comrades. If it weren't for his magical garments, he'd have been run through.

Alex clutched at his stomach, glaring up at Erica. "Why... Why did you turn against me!?" Erica flicked a lock of hair from her face. "Meh, I'm tired of you being the strong one. You're always bossing me around and getting to have all the fun." She clenched her left hand into a fist, and grinned maniacally. "With the power of darkness, I have no need for you anymore!"

The Kingdom Hearts crew gasped at that. Alexander's eyes widened. But one look at the Heartless emblem on Erica's lance told him enough. He sighed, and hung his head. "But who?" he asked tentatively. "Who did this to you?"

Erica laughed out loud. "Did what? No one did anything, foolish brother. I chose the path of darkness, and I got rid of the dead weight this mortal coil was giving me." She paused for a moment. "...But if anyone's going to get credit, it'll have to be Dilan."

Alex looked up at her, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Dilan? Who's that?"

Erica laughed again. "Are you kidding me!?" she spluttered in the midst of her mirth. "C'mon, you're the one who's the expert on Kingdom Hearts!" Still chuckling, she walked over to her stunned brother and knelt down to his ear. "I'll give you a hint," she whispered. "The remaining five..."

It clicked in Alex's mind. With a growl of rage, Alex retorted, "So you've been given the power of darkness? I'll show you what happens when you use the power of **darkness**!!" Light shot out from his body, pushing Erica back and forcing her to shield her eyes. When the light faded, he had shifted to his Anti Form. He immediately dashed forward on all fours, running up to Erica. He slashed at her with his claws and threw a flurry of kicks her way. He was completely consumed by the rage he felt toward his sister right now.

Erica tried her best to defend, but it didn't turn out so well against Alex's dark powers. She was eventually thrown back by Alex's finisher, landing on her feet next to Crowley. She looked visibly surprised by this turn of events, but she also looked... satisfied as well. "Hmph, I knew that you would betray me eventually, dear brother." Without another word, she summoned a dark portal behind herself and stepped through it, disappearing from sight.

Alexander stared incredulously at the spot his sister had been the previous moment. When his darkness realized that the enemy was no longer there, it let him revert back to his normal form. "Betrayed _you_!?" he shouted after a moment, his knees giving out on him in the shock of what had just happened.

The strange alchemist Crowley grunted, seeing that Erica's escapade was over. Glaring at Edward, he muttered, "You should have realized that you have no right to stop me." He clapped his hands once more, and his hands began to spark with purple light. Edward's glare became deeper, but he was too weakened to do much else.

"Crowley!" the old man near the lieutenants cried out. Crowley slowly looked over to the man. "That's you, isn't it?" the civilian continued. "I knew it! There could be no mistaking you! Don't you recognize me? It's me! It's Arlen! I can't believe this!" he carried on. "Crowley?"

"No," Crowley muttered, making Arlen gasp. "The Arlen I know is not a dottering old fool like you."

Arlen did a take. "What do you mean!? You're talking nonsense! How many _years_ do you think it's been? How can you still look so young? What happened to you!?"

This seemed to strike something within Crowley, but he still seemed doubtful. As Arlen tried to approach him, Crowley faded back into a mud figure and melted away into the ground, disappearing from the cemetery. "Crowley..." Arlen gasped.

"There he goes again..." Sora mumbled. "He just melted away."

Riku glanced at Alexander, who was beginning to regain his composure. "More importantly," Riku stated, "we now know what befell Alex's sister. Unfortunately..." he trailed off, leaving it as that.

Lieutenant Hawkeye placed her pistol in her holster and walked over to Lieutenant Havoc, who was sitting down in fatigue. "You're safe now, Lieutenant Havoc," she said to him. "So how are you faring after all of that? You alright?"

Havoc lit a cigarette and shot a loaded look at his fellow lieutenant. "Does it look like I'm alright? Do me a favor and tell the Colonel to double my salary, will ya? I mean, for God's sake... How come nobody tells me how dangerous these missions are gonna be!?"

Hawkeye chuckled a little at Havoc's remarks. As Havoc stood up, she looked over at the old man and said, "Anyway... Lieutenant Havoc, who's this with you?"

Alexander finally got a good look at the old man. He had light blond hair covered by a old hat, a large mustache, and wore a white shirt, brown jacket, and tan slacks, finished off by brown boots. "Oh, right," Havoc mumbled. "This is Mr. Arlen Glostner, a villager. I had taken him into protective custody."

Hawkeye nodded and introduced herself. "Riza Hawkeye from East Headquarters. Nice to see that you're alright, Mr. Glostner."

"Hogswallow!" Arlen cursed. "'Alright'? Does anything about this situation seem 'alright' to you!?" Hawkeye ignored the rebuke and immediately asked, "Are there any other survivors?"

"I don't know..." Arlen replied at length, "but not very likely. Everyone's gone – except me." He lowered his hat, and muttered under his breath barely loud enough for Alex to hear, "Crowley, you fool... What have you done...?"

No one else seemed to notice this interlude. Edward, however, was quick to cut straight to the informality. "Hey! Gramps!" Arlen mumbled something incoherent. Edward nodded, and said, "Yeah, you! Sounds like you know that guy by name. Am I wrong? Who is he? Come on, you're wasting time!"

Arlen was more than a little put off. "Who is this tactless little punk?" Riku smirked at the response. "This is Edward Elric, a State Alchemist. Next to him is his brother, Alphonse."

"An alchemist..." Arlen mused, suddenly interested for some reason. Edward didn't share the intrigue. "Out with the info! He appears out of nowhere and then just melts away! That guy's not exactly normal. Who **is** he!?"

"Did he do something to you, kid?" Arlen asked tentatively. Edward scowled even deeper. "So you **do** know him, right!? Come on, old man! Tell me! Please!"

"Whatever he did sounds serious..." the villager mumbled. "Well, ain't no point in standing around out here. If you wanna talk, let's go to my house." He pointed back toward the house which the party had just left. "It's right there. Follow me."

* * *

"Hold it, gramps," Edward muttered as they entered the secluded house. "Is this your place? All these books belong to you?"

The entire group stood in the middle of the library, which was now identified as Mr. Glostner's study. "Course they do," Arlen replied. "I've been an archaeologist for more than fifty years, believe it or not."

Kairi reached for an ancient jar of some sort. "Hey, kid!" Arlen barked, making Kairi jump. "Keep your clumsy hands off my stuff, ya hear?"

"Um..." Kairi mumbled, trying to change the subject. "So does archeology include the study of those monsters, too?"

"Monsters? Oh, you must mean the golems," Arlen mused. "Of course. The history of Lebis can't be told without them. What you guys are calling monsters are actually golems – living dolls created through the grand arcanum of Lebis."

"Living dolls?" Sora repeated in confusion. Arlen nodded. "That's right. The grand arcanum enabled them to breathe life into what were actually just dolls made out of mud."

"'Breathe life into'...?" Alphonse asked skeptically. "That's impossible!" Arlen smirked at that. "Oh, but it **is** possible with the grand arcanum of Lebis. It's what's better known as alchemy today. You boys said you were alchemists. Well, golems were made through ancient alchemy, so..."

"Alchemy!? Oh no, Ed..." Alphonse mumbled in shock. Edward folded his arms, paying more attention by the minute. "Yeah. Alright. I'm beginning to see now... So that guy we saw out there is the lunatic who's still making those ancient beasts. Am I right, gramps?"

"Hmph," Arlen chuckled. "Got a mind like a steel trap, don'tcha? Well, you're right. You want to know about him? He's an alchemist, like you... His name is Jack Crowley. Him and I were best friends, studying Lebisic civilization more than fifty years ago."

"Jack Crowley..." Edward muttered, making sure to impress the name upon his mind. Sora looked more confused. "Wait... fifty years ago? But he didn't look that–"

"No," Arlen confirmed, "he didn't look old at all. He hadn't aged a bit. That's one detail I can't figure out..." Alexander sighed at those words. "Any possibility it was a total stranger that just happened to look like him?"

"Come to think of it," Havoc remarked, "it seemed like that guy didn't recognize you."

"I know him better than anyone else," Arlen insisted. "That was Crowley, no doubt about it." Riku shook his head, still doubtful of some things. "Still... no normal human can do the things he can..." Arlen couldn't think of a reply to that.

It was Edward that finally brought things in order. "Well, there's no use arguing over whether that guy was really your buddy or not. What I want to know is his purpose."

"And why's a young punk like you so interested, anyways?" Arlen retorted quickly. "What's this got to do with you?"

Edward glared at him. "I saw him in my hometown of Resembool. He may have been trying to do the same thing there that he did here. And besides..."

Hawkeye caught his drift, and quickly spoke up. "That man may be responsible for the mass murder of the village. He may be involved in other cases, too. In other words, the military has good reason to apprehend him. Do you have any idea where we might find him?"

Arlen thought about it for a moment. "Where to find Crowley... Hmph, he may still be in Siam-Sid, for all I know."

"Siam-Sid?" Kairi repeated. Alexander gave an amused grunt. "The royal capital of Lebis, if I remember the texts in here correctly. Though by now, it's probably a bunch of ruins. It's been abandoned for centuries."

Edward's expression became serious. "So Siam-Sid's our best bet, huh? Well, Lieutenant?" he asked, glancing at Hawkeye, who nodded back. "That'll be our next stop. Mr. Glostner, can you lead us to Siam-Sid?"

"You guys are serious about this?" Arlen asked incredulously. "Hmph, you whippersnappers may be the best chance that's come around yet... Fine. I'll take you guys there. I want to see Crowley, too. Just one more time..." Under his breath, he muttered to himself, "I've got to stop him... It's my fault he became this way..."

"Huh? Gramps, are you alright?" Edward wondered, not much worry in his voice. Arlen sighed. "Alright, then. Let's go. It ain't that far from here to Siam-Sid."

"Um, Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Havoc asked hesitantly. "What should I do?" Hawkeye smiled at him, knowing what he was hoping for. "We'll only be scouting, so there's no need for a big group. I want you to report our plans to the colonel."

"Yes, ma'am!" Havoc replied instantly, excited at the prospect of finally being able to go home.

Havoc left for East City, and Hawkeye and Arlen left the room to prepare for the trip to Siam-Sid. The party huddled together to discuss what had just happened.

"So Erica's fallen off the deep end..." Alex moaned, holding his head in his hands. "She has become a humanoid Heartless at the hands of Dilan."

While this was a shock to all of them, Sora couldn't help but ask, "Dilan? Who is that?" Alexander sighed. "Remember Xaldin, the Whirlwind Lancer? Well, Dilan is that Nobody's Heartless. The third of Ansem's six apprentices."

Riku nodded at this, seemingly less surprised than the rest of them. "In a strange way, it makes sense. The remaining five apprentices must have gone somewhere, if Xehanort had managed to remain. Still, why are they in this universe?"

No one could answer that. With the short explanation out of the way, the Kingdom Hearts characters left the room. Edward and Alphonse remained. "Hey, Ed, Alex..." Alphonse mumbled. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking about the grand arcanum and those Golems...?"

Edward and Alexander nodded. "I'm way ahead of you," Edward agreed. "Let's hope we can find a clue about getting our bodies back..." Edward and Alphonse also left to join the others, leaving Alexander alone in the study.

Alex sighed, remembering one detail he hadn't mentioned. "I can't believe I had let myself go into Anti Form against my sister..." he groaned, staring at his hands as if they would turn into claws at any second. "Why am I losing control like this?"

_**Perhaps you never could control me in the first place...**_ a sinister voice echoed through his mind. Alex whipped around to find the source, but didn't see anything. The voice laughed evilly. **_Don't look for me; you've already found me. I'm right here, inside of you... I _am_ you._**

Alexander's face paled. "Y-You mean... you're..." The voice laughed again at Alex's fear. **_That's right, Alexander. I'm your darkness. Or, as you would probably put it, I'm your Anti self..._**

Alex shook his head vigorously, as if trying to shake the voice out of his head. **_Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything yet,_** his Anti self informed him with a chuckle. **_But as soon as you give in to the darkness, I'll be there. So remember that._** Anti Alexander's evil laugh echoed through his mind as the presence faded away, leaving Alex to his own thoughts again.

"Good grief..." Alex muttered. "My Anti Form has its own personality in my heart now... My darkness is getting too strong. The price I paid for the power of alchemy might just do me in..."

"Alex!" Sora's voice called out from outside the front door. "C'mon! We're about to leave!"

Alexander shook his head again, ridding himself of these thoughts for now. Too much already hung in the balance for him to be worrying about himself. Darkness now had a firm grip on the events taking place in this world, and Alex was now determined to find a way out of it. With a firm nod to himself, Alex ran out of the room to rejoin his friends.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	13. Siam Sid, City of Illusion

Chapter 12  
Siam-Sid, City of Illusion

Of course, it occurred to Alexander that the civilization of Lebis had been a desert one. Their hieroglyphs had been reminiscent of Egypt, and every photo had shown a desert ruin. So it really shouldn't have been a surprise to him that the party soon found themselves walking through the middle of a desert under a blisteringly hot sun, with sand blowing in their faces.

Of course, this didn't bother some of them. Sora and Alexander had magical garments, which took out the brunt of the desert's rage. Alphonse was merely a soul in a suit of armor, so he couldn't even feel his armor heating up. Kairi was determined to stay with Sora no matter what the consequences. Riku, Arlen, and Hawkeye were pretty resilient merely by nature.

So, in the end, it was only Edward that eventually slowed down to a stop, gasping from dehydration. "Hot..." he moaned, hanging his head in despair. "It's so hot... It's hotter than two chimeras mating in a boiler room..." Shooting a withering glare at Arlen, he growled, "I'm burning up, old man... Aren't we there **yet**?"

Alphonse, worried for his brother's health, asked, "Um, Mr. Glostner? We're not **that** far away from Siam-Sid, are we?"

Arlen couldn't help but grin at the miserable sight of the alchemist. "Hmph. You young'uns are pitiful. How can you be all ready to dry up after a scant _thirty_ miles?" he mockingly demanded, knowing full well that he had more patience than the blond shorty. "This barely qualifies as a hike! Anyhow, we'll see Siam-Sid on the horizon soon enough."

Sora, his curiosity returning, asked, "Exactly what kind of town is Siam-Sid?"

Arlen sighed, as if bringing up old memories. "Well, it's nothing but ruins now. But in ancient times, it was a large city that thrived as a royal capital."

"One of your books," Alphonse cut in, "said everyone in Lebis was wiped out in a single night... I remember hearing a story like that as a kid."

Alexander nodded, confirming Alphonse's unasked question. "It's not just a story. Lebis was wiped out overnight – by Golems."

"By Golems!?" Edward repeated in disbelief, his curiosity taking place over his fatigue.

Arlen gave Alex a strange look for a moment, then nodded as well. "You certainly know your books. Still, it's ironic how a civilization that thrived by the grand arcanum would perish by it as well. You see, the king of Lebis committed a forbidden act. That's what ultimately caused Lebis's destruction."

Kairi looked a little wary. "What do you mean by 'a forbidden act'...?"

_**Let me guess... Human transmutation?**_ Alexander's Anti self cut in, chuckling a little. The sudden appearance of the yet unfamiliar voice made Alex jump, but the sudden movement was fortunately noticed by no one else.

Arlen hung his head. "It was the reign of Lebis's thirty-second king. After the queen died from a plague, the king tried to bring her back to life."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Using alchemy?"

"Precisely," Arlen replied, grimacing at the thought. "The grand arcanum of Lebis... The king tried to bring the queen to life by using a golem body and breathing life into it. But the king was unsuccessful... Still, he couldn't give up – he tried again and again to revive the queen. He created countless queen golems... all of which were failures."

"But then, one day..." Arlen continued, his tone becoming darker as the gruesome tale went on. "His queen golem went berserk. It became a monster, and went on a rampage of murder and destruction. Then, as if in response to the queen, the other golems went berserk as well. And in a single night..." He trailed off, leaving the rest to be quickly pieced together by the party.

Sora gasped, struck hard by this explanation. "No way..."

Edward was also just as dumbstruck. "That's incredible..."

Arlen nodded in agreement. "Yes, incredible indeed. The method of creating golems is both flawed and extremely dangerous. That's why I've gotta stop Crowley... He's taken the same path as the king of Lebis. This can't continue."

Alexander suddenly had something to say. "And what of my sister? Why do you think that she would side with Crowley?"

Arlen looked surprised. "That young girl was your sister!?" he exclaimed. But, of course, he had every reason to be surprised. After all, Erica had not only attacked her older brother, but had apparently made an alliance with Crowley, the Golems, and the Heartless. Along with her slight physical changes, it would have been very hard to guess that they were related.

"Yes, she is," Alex replied. But he faltered. "Or _was_. I'm not sure anymore. Still, if she's with Crowley, then there must be something she's wanting to gain from the grand arcanum." Of course, this was somewhat a cover-up; Alex had his own suspicions. Namely, he had several thoughts about the appearance of Dilan, Ansem's third apprentice-turned-Heartless.

"Could've fooled me," Arlen muttered. "Seeing as how you were fighting each other pretty quickly, it seems you don't get along quite as well as most siblings do."

Riku also nodded, but said nothing. Alex felt Riku's stare boring into the side of his head, and he knew why the boy was doing it. Alexander had used Anti Form nearly on a whim. Against his _sister_. That had been pretty dangerous, considering how much darkness Alex had in his heart right now. Would the Anti Form take over again, much like it had against Sora back in Radiant Garden? Or had it already?

Hawkeye cut their discussion short. "I see something up ahead," she stated, looking into the horizon of the dunes. "Mr. Glostner, could that be..."

"Huh?" Arlen mumbled, as he and everyone else turned to look in the direction Hawkeye was indicating. In the distance, they saw a large circular city, with a giant spire in the middle. Arlen smirked upon seeing it. "Well, I'll be damned!" he shouted in excitement. "That's definitely Siam-Sid. It's sure been a while..."

Out of nowhere, Edward seemed to recover from his fatigue. "Y'mean we're almost there?" he asked ecstatically, grinning. "Awright! Last one there's a rotten egg! I'm talkin' to you, Al!" And without any warning, Edward started dashing ahead toward the city, leaving his surprised comrades behind him.

"Huh? Aw, Ed, you don't have to run..." Alphonse groaned, starting to run after his brother. The rest of them did their best to keep up, but none of them kept the same pace that Edward did. Not that the shorty was going anywhere too fast, mind you.

* * *

The party eventually arrived at Siam-Sid's eastern gate. Upon arrival, Alex had to admit that he was genuinely impressed. The walls were acutely detailed, the stone streets were neat and clean, and the buildings were not too shabby. It was a rather nice city, as far as ancient civilizations go. 

The most interesting thing, though, was the presence of people within the town. They certainly looked like natives, with fairly tanned skin, dark hair, and wearing robes and turbans that were a very light teal.

Sora was the first to voice his impression. "So, this is Siam-Sid, the royal capital of the civilization of Lebis, huh?" he asked with some degree of awe in his tone.

Edward noticed the civilians. "Um... Gramps?" he said tentatively. "Not to question your inexhaustible knowledge or anything, but wasn't this town destroyed centuries ago?"

"Millenia ago," Alex answered simply, before Arlen could make a shocked exclamation. **_Hmm... So you certainly know what's going on, Alexander,_** Anti Alex mused inside his head. **_What I wonder is... will you do anything about it?_**

Alex shook his head slightly, trying in vain to rid himself of the dark voice. Meanwhile, Hawkeye shot a stern glance in Arlen's direction. "Are you sure this is Siam-Sid?" she asked him skeptically.

"There's... there's no doubt about it," Arlen stuttered at a high pitch. "You can see the ultimate proof in front of us. That's why I'm so surprised..." He was indicating the giant spire in the center of the city. That was probably the royal palace.

Edward smirked at a possibility. "Well, I guess it's possible that people came back to the ruins and rebuilt the town while you weren't looking."

Arlen shook his head vigorously. "It's not the repopulation that bothers me," he explained, "it's how the spire has been restored..."

Alex knew that the old man had a point, but he also had a point to make himself. "Really? Well, the repopulation is what bothers _me_, personally."

Sora, Riku, and Kairi each shot a strange look at Alexander. They recognized the familiar tone. Alex heard his Anti Form chuckle again as he realized what Alex was planning. Shaking his head, Alex smirked and walked up to one of the citizens. "Excuse me," he said in a friendly tone, "do you know where I might find a Jack Crowley here in the city? Silver hair, evil stare..."

But the Lebisian remained silent and stone-faced. After a moment, he started to walk away. Alex did a mock sigh, but he knew that he was making his point slowly. Kairi shrugged. "Maybe they don't speak our language..." she suggested.

Alexander shook his head. "No... there's one language that is known universally." On that cue, he summoned the Crimson Catalyst, and used alchemy to extend the blade. "Agression," he explained to his shocked friends.

Alex ran up to the stranger, shoved him against the wall, and trained the tip of the Lockshield's blade on the civilian's neck. "Do you know anyone named Crowley?" Alexander repeated.

"Alex!" Sora shouted, fearing his friend had snapped. He dashed forward to stop him, but Riku held out his arm to make him halt.

"Just wait," Riku advised his friend. "I think Alexander is on to something... Or maybe he's trying to prove something he already knows."

Alex grinned, partly because of Riku's remark, and partly because that the stranger was still remaining silent and without the slightest expression on his face. The citizen hadn't reacted at all.

Hawkeye noticed the lack of emotion, but was still wary of Alex's motives. "Just what are you trying to prove, Alexander?" she asked tentatively, her hand straying toward her pistol instinctively.

Alex grinned even wider. "This." He pulled back the Lockshield's blade, then quickly stabbed it into the Lebisian's stomach, impaling the stranger all the way through. "**Graaahhh!!**" the citizen moaned, the sound and pitch rather familiar to the party.

As Alexander pulled his blade out of the body, everyone saw that he had drawn no blood. Instead, a black scar was seen where Alex had stabbed the man. Slowly, and to everyone's surprise, the man slowly transformed into a Golem Adult before collapsing to the ground.

Everyone stared at the Golem for a moment. "Golems!" Alphonse exclaimed after a moment, breaking the silence.

Edward growled, "Why do they always have to show up wherever we go!?"

Riku glanced at the other townsfolk, which were starting to notice the fallen Golem on the premises. "No doubt the others are Golems too," he pointed out. "They'll transform once someone figures out that we're enemies."

Arlen cursed under his breath. "This town's been abandoned for centuries. I... I knew something wasn't right. But now we have the whole thing figured out, don't we?"

"That's great!" Edward yelled sarcastically. "Next time, tell us these things in advance!" Everyone turned toward the street, looking for someplace to run once they were knee-deep in Golems.

They saw a mysterious stone circle up ahead, and they saw a familiar woman standing in the center of it. It was the woman they'd seen from the Resembool caves, as well as the temple of Leto. The one who had given Edward the strange ring. "Wha!? That's... that's her!" Edward announced. "Come on, Al!" He dashed toward the girl, with Alphonse close behind.

"Huh? No! My God, that can't be–" Arlen muttered, seeming to recognize the mysterious woman. Alexander and Hawkeye barely noticed this remark. Everyone approached the circle and took a close look at the woman. Arlen's suspicions seemed to have been confirmed, whatever they were.

"That's it," Edward growled, "this can't be a coincidence anymore. Just who are you, and what do you want with us?" he demanded sharply.

The young woman's words came out in short gasps; it seemed like it was taking all of her strength just to speak. "...They... they are in the spire... The Spire... of Lebis..." She turned toward the spire behind her and looked up at it.

"'The Spire of Lebis'?" Sora repeated. "You mean that tower over there? And who's 'they'?" He wasn't really understanding this woman's connection in all of this.

Alexander gasped. "Are you talking about... Crowley? And Erica? And Dilan!?"

The woman, her back still turned on them, hung her head in despair. "Please... Stop them... Stop _him_..." The circle beneath her began to glow with a bright blue light, and she faded away until she had completely disappeared.

"She disappeared again...!?" Alphonse said, sounding more than a little surprised. "She just vanished into thin air!"

"Just what is goin' on here?" Edward demanded of their surroundings, knowing fully well that the question was futile for now.

"There's no time for that now," Riku muttered, summoning the Way to the Dawn. The citizens had gathered around the lone Golem as it finally dissolved into a pool of mud. They all turned toward Alexander, and seemed to recognize the shield in his hand. All at once, they began to howl as they transformed into more Golem Adults.

Alexander panicked. "We're surrounded!" He quickly glanced at the circle, suddenly noticing the strange archaic symbols around the rim of the circle and within the circle itself. "It looks like a transmutation circle... An ancient transmutation circle!"

Edward pried his gaze away from the Golems and stared at the circle as well. "Yeah... it's archaic, but it seems to be written for some kind of transportation method..."

That was all the rest of them needed. "If it'll get us out of here for now," Hawkeye noted, "then, by all means, let's go!" All of them ran onto the circle and waited impatiently. The circle shown with a bright blue light again, and the entire party vanished into thin air.

* * *

They reappeared on top of a similar circle in Siam-Sid's south quarter. They all reappeared intact, and there was nothing else in sight for now. As soon as the light faded, Edward doubled over and clutched his stomach. "Uuugh... Feels like my stomach just got shot out of a cannon..." he moaned. 

Truth be told, most of them felt a little nauseous, but the method was not too unlike disembarking from a gummi ship into different worlds, so the quartet was relatively okay.

Alphonse, not having a physical body to be affected by such things, panicked at his brother's remarks. "Are you okay, brother? You better make sure you aren't missing anything–"

"Naw, I'm intact, just a little loopy..." Edward moaned, cutting his brother's worry off. He stood up straight, marveling at the method by which they had escaped the fight behind them. "But wow," he said, "using alchemy as a means of transportation..."

Arlen, however, was too stunned to think about such things. In fact, he seemed a little stunned by the encounter from the mysterious woman. "Was that you... Elma?" he mumbled. "It was... It was you! That means Crowley's with you too!" He started running ahead, screaming, "Elma!! Crowley!!!"

This startled all of them. "Mr. Glostner!" Hawkeye yelled, running after him with her pistols.

Alex and the others sighed as they watched the two disappear around the corner. "And there they go again..." he muttered. "Oh well, I think they'll be alright. We just need to all find a safe place to make a stand against these Golems. Being a military officer, I think Hawkeye knows that as well. We'll meet up soon enough."

Unfortunately, "soon enough" wasn't nearly as soon as anyone would've liked. While Alex remembered the correct path, it was a pretty long path, littered with many Golems. First of all, there were many new types. There was a type that Alex named Artillery Golems, which were huge hulks with a big hole in the top of their frame and holes at the ends of their arms. Basically, they were strictly cannons. They fired bombs, lasers, bullets, you name it. The trick around those was to hit it with something hard before it could fire. Unfortunately, they had plenty of health to match the space they took up.

Another type they faced was a strange one that Alexander eventually called Warrior Golems. They were tall armored knights of clay, and they carried around huge swords in their hand. The other arm was a cannon for large bullets. They had a hit recovery that hardly even existed, so it was hard to get any decent damage in before it tried to cleave you in half. They took a while to take down.

A strange type that the party had a short encounter with was one Alex named... Slime Golems. Quite simply, they were piles of mud with arms and mouths. Fortunately, Alex remembered that these types were extremely sensitive to fire-based attacks (but were resilient to everything else). A couple of Firaga spells took them down quickly, so they fortunately didn't have to find out what their attacks were.

Among all these new foes, the old types had also learned a few new tricks. The Kids could launch small stones rapidly, and their tackle caused large spikes to appear from the ground. The Elders could spin around quickly to create a small whirlwind. The Pets now spat out fireballs at a faster rate. The Slasher Adults' blades were sharper and longer than before, and the Cannon Adults now carried _two_ laser blasters.

On top of _that_, the Heartless were also hard at work here. They mainly saw Armored Knight, Surveillance Robot, Luna Bandit, Fat Bandit, and Neoshadow Heartless in Siam-Sid. So with the Golems and Heartless both teaming up against them with their new combined abilities, it was a tough fight all the way through.

Fortunately, the party of six was strong enough to make it through with just a few Curaga spells and Elixirs now and then. They reached the holy quarter of the city, and came to a temple-like structure. Up the flight of stairs, they saw Hawkeye and Arlen waiting for them.

Edward smirked in spite of the battle they had just gone through. "Well, well, well! Glad to see you're both okay.

Arlen smirked back. "Hmph. I must be getting' really crusty if I need a punk like you to save my ass and worry about me..." he remarked, insulting Edward just for the heck of it.

"What!?" Edward exclaimed. "That's all I get for saving your miserable hide!?"

Riku decided to cut it off there. "But what is up with this town?" he wondered aloud, straying away from the argument. "How can every single person here be a Golem?"

"It's Crowley's handiwork for sure," Arlen replied, becoming totally serious. "He made golems using the grand arcanum and revived the whole city."

Edward gasped. "But how... How is that possible?" he asked tentatively.

_**Maybe he's getting help,**_ Anti Alex suggested with a smug tone. Alexander scowled, but said, "Maybe he's getting help." **_Hey! That was my idea, you jerk!_**

Arlen seemed to get his point. "Your sister did seem to know alchemy pretty well. Between the two of them, this task would be rather simple. Besides, those are the same methods the king of Lebis used to create Siam-Sid in the first place."

Alexander's initial scowl went deeper. _So, are you trying to be queen, Erica? Building a dominion over this world with the power of alchemy and darkness... Do you even know who you're working for...?_

"Save that talk for later," Hawkeye cut in. "We're not exactly safe out here." Motioning toward the temple behind her, she advised, "Let's get inside the structure."

Not wanting any further Golem attacks anytime soon, the party quickly obliged, entering the temple of Lebis as quickly as they could.

* * *

The party walked through the corridor to the main room of the temple. To one side was a statue of a woman, with an altar covered in moss right in front of the statue. Other than that, the room was empty. "The inside seems clear," Hawkeye noted. "Let's catch our breath for a moment." 

The Kingdom Hearts crew immediately dismissed their weapons, breathing a collective sigh of relief, pleased at finally getting a break.

Alphonse looked around the room, then looked at Arlen questioningly. "Mr. Glostner, what is this place?" he asked simply.

After a moment, Arlen replied, "This must be the temple of the goddess of Lebis. There should be an area for prayer deeper in."

Riku looked around as well. "A temple, huh... Not much in common with the temple in Lior," he noted. His gaze finally settled on the strange statue, and he walked toward the moss-covered altar. Soon, everyone was gathered in front of it, their curiosity peaked.

"Who's this a statue of...?" Edward asked Arlen.

"This is the queen of Lebis," Arlen replied in a weighed-down tone as he brought up the painful history lesson up once more. "The one the king tried so hard to revive – his one and only love."

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Alphonse remarked solemnly. After a moment, he added, "Ed... doesn't she look like the girl in white that we keep seeing?"

"Huh?" Edward mumbled. After staring at the statue for a few moments, they all saw that the woman's garments, face, and hairstyle were very similar to the mysterious woman from before. "Yeah, I can see that..." Edward admitted finally.

Sora suddenly turned toward Arlen. "Wait a minute!" he exclaimed. "Mr. Glostner, it sounded like you knew that lady in white. Can you tell us who she is?"

Arlen's expression remained neutral. "So... you urchins noticed the resemblance between the queen and Elma, too. Crowley said the same thing when he found this statue for the first time.

Edward grimaced, not appreciating Arlen's act of beating around the bush. "Care to elaborate?"

It took a few moments, but Arlen soon launched into his tale. "That girl in white you saw... That's Crowley's lover – his _dead_... lover." After everyone's shocked reactions, he explained, "Crowley's trying to bring his dead lover, Elma, back to life."

Edward just about had it. "Woah... hold the phone, Gramps. You're not making any sense..."

Arlen took a few moments to rewind his tale back to the beginning, where it would make sense for the others. "It's almost been fifty years... I met Crowley for the first time on my way to study the Lebis civilization. He was studying the ancient method of creating golems. We immediately hit it off and decided to travel together. One day, he just started talking... How he had lost his lover, how he'd failed at reviving her through alchemy..."

"Reviving... through alchemy?" Alphonse repeated slowly, the bad memories beginning to resurface the Elric brothers' minds.

As the story continued, Arlen's frown became a deep grimace. "Later, we were able to decipher the mysteries of Lebis – and Crowley succeeded in bringing back Elma." After a pause, he added, "Those were good times. The three of us – me, Crowley, and Elma – got along great. But those days didn't last long. Elma's body was... imperfect. In less than half a year, Elma turned back into mud, right before our very eyes."

"Crowley began his studies again," Arlen muttered. "He immersed himself in the study of golems. He was _possessed_ by it... So many Elmas were made – and all would fail. Then one day, Elma – half of her body a golem – turned to me with the saddest look on her face, and said: 'Please stop... Please stop him... Please let me die...'"

"'Please let me die...'" Alex repeated, and he felt the depth of those words pierce into his very soul. The words reeked of pain and sorrow.

"I later found out what caused the civilization of Lebis to perish:" Arlen continued, "the golems going berserk. Creating golems is dangerous. I couldn't let Crowley go on practicing the grand arcanum. But... I couldn't stop him. He was already half mad – my words weren't reaching him anymore. So I left him. I thought he would give up without my help... But it seems... Crowley was continuing his study on golems all this time. And even now he continues to make the same mistakes... over and over again."

Arlen lowered the tip of his hat, covering his eyes. The party stood in a solemn silence and reverent awe of the events that had transpired to lead them here. "So that's why..." Kairi started, but couldn't finish it. Sighing, she admitted, "It's hard to believe..."

After a few more moments of silence, Edward turned toward Arlen. "There's something you should know... When we first met that girl, she handed this to me..." He pulled out the strange ring from his pocket, holding it for Arlen to see.

Arlen did a surprisingly large take at the sight of the ring. "The Ring of Lebis!" he exclaimed. "I had dug it out of the ruins, and gave it to Elma as a gift... It's a special ring that has been passed down through royalty. So Elma must have meant for you to come here–"

A large crash shook the entire structure. Unsettled dust poured down from the ceiling, and small slabs of stone began to fall apart from above. "What's happening!?" Hawkeye demanded.

Alphonse watched as larger slabs of stone began to crash down around them. "Look out!"

Alex scowled. "This isn't good..."

Hawkeye took control of the situation firmly. "We aren't safe here anymore! Back outside, everyone! Hurry!"

"Don't gotta ask me twice!" Edward exclaimed, and they followed Hawkeye out of the opposite door as the temple crashed down around them.

Arlen stayed behind for a moment, staring up at the statue. "Damnation..." he cursed under his breath, before following the others outside.

* * *

They reached the cloister just outside the temple. A huge spider-like Golem jumped off the top of the temple and crashed down in the center of the circular courtyard, one of its legs nearly hitting Edward and Alphonse. As the thing stood up, Alphonse exclaimed, "Ed... look at that!" 

Edward grimaced. "Aww, hell!" he whined. "Please tell me that's a welcome wagon!"

Alexander glared at the monster. _Erica, what are you and Crowley doing, creating monstrosities like this..._

Edward scowled, regaining control of his childishness. "We can't fight and babysit Gramps at the same time. Lieutenant, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Alex... you guys protect the old guy!"

Sora was more than a little surprised by this notion. "Huh? Why are you leaving us out of this!?"

Edward glared at him. "I'm not! If this thing's anything like the last ones, it'll spawn out more Golems to boot! I'm counting on you guys to make sure that they don't gang up on the old geezer!"

Alexander wasn't used to staying out of the front line, but he knew better than to argue against sound logic like that. He nodded toward Hawkeye and the others, and they retreated to the steps of the temple approach.

Edward was certainly right; the Golem boss was definitely prone to summoning small fry Golems from time to time. And, more often than not, they headed for the quartet, who were quick to cut them down. The Golem boss, itself, was pretty tricky to damage. It stood right over a pool of black mud, which it could retreat to at any time. From there, it could launch bombs or pools of mud to summon Golems from. It could also jump high into the air in the hopes that the momentum would help damage the Elrics on the landing.

The main weak point was the legs of the spider thing. So Edward would transmute a hammer, and use a combination of hammer strikes and Stonespikes to do the most damage to it. Sometimes, the Golem would raise that leg to bring it down on top of Edward, but the alchemist could jump away easily. And that... was really all there was to the battle. It was tedious because it was only the Elrics doing the main fighting, but eventually, the Golem boss was riddled with red sparks, and it sank into the dark pool, which soon dissolved into the ground.

"He's down for the count, Ed!" Sora shouted, waving at them.

Edward was breathing heavily from the fight. "If that thing turns out to have a twin brother, I'm gonna be pissed," he muttered. Alex almost expected another boss to appear, but, fortunately, nothing happened.

Alphonse turned toward the rest of the party. "Everyone, you can come out now."

Everyone met at the bottom of the steps, still tense after the battle. "Are you boys okay?" Hawkeye asked. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to assist you."

Arlen sighed in despair, lowering his hat. "I'm the one who should be sorry. You boys are risking your lives, and it's all because of me..."

Edward couldn't resist grinning, even though he knew Arlen was trying to be perfectly serious. "Aww geez, don't get all sappy on me now, Gramps! None of this is your fault. It's all Crowley's game."

Alexander sighed, suddenly coming to a realization. "Actually... if anyone's at fault for all of this, it's me. I mean, I was kinda the one who allowed the Heartless and everything to enter this world... And, needless to say, Erica and I never got along that well. So, in hindsight, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she would take the chance to turn on me." He chuckled. "I would hate her, but that would risk letting my darkness get stronger."

Arlen shook his head. "No, kid, it's really my fault. It's my fault Crowley became the way he is... I couldn't stop my friend. I ran away instead – I bear full responsibility..."

"You're wrong... Arlen..." a woman's voice stuttered from beside them. Everyone looked to see the mysterious woman, now identified as Elma, standing on the landing just above them.

"E-Elma...!?" Arlen gasped.

"It's not your fault, Arlen..." Elma said, speaking slowly to conserve what little strength she had. "It's mine... he does... what he does... because of me..."

"Elma?" Arlen repeated again, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What are you saying? You're not–"

Elma turned toward Alexander, and Arlen trailed off. Alex saw in Elma's eyes the saddest look he'd ever seen. He was touched by it. "Alexander..." Elma mumbled. "I heard... your name... from your sister..." She lowered her head. "I'm sorry for... what Dilan has... done to her... She was persuaded... by him that you... were the traitor... and that darkness... was her only remaining path..."

Elma's eyes returned to meet Alexander's own, and the piercing feeling reached him again. "If you have any love... for your younger sister... you will destroy her... and Dilan... She is dead... to you, and to the worlds... There is nothing left of her... but darkness..."

Alexander dropped to his knees. That was it, then. He'd heard it right from the horse's mouth. **_Hahaha... Now you see, Alexander, there is no salvation for your sister now. Dilan hadn't turned her into a Heartless... She'd _willingly_ become one, just so that she might surpass you in power._** Alexander hung his head, knowing that the words he were hearing were true, and there was nothing he could do about it.

She turned toward Edward, sounding weaker by the second. "Please... we're running out of time... Listen... to my last... wish..."

Edward was taken aback. "Huh? Wait... What? Are you... talking to me?"

Elma gave Edward a pleading look, even more sad than the one Alexander had been confronted with. "Please... let me die... Please... kill me..."

"What..." Edward mumbled, hardly believing what he was hearing. Kill her, she'd said. But would that be the right thing?

"Elma," Arlen gasped, "what should I–"

Elma lowered her head, knowing she was using up the last of her willpower. "And.. the... Elixir... The... big... crimson... stone..."

A gunshot rang out, and everyone turned to see Hawkeye with her pistol pointed at a battalion of Golem Adults, one of which had been shot down. "Whoa... Dammit, Lieutenant!?" Edward exclaimed, having been startled quite severely.

"Don't let your guard down!" Hawkeye snapped, keeping her pistol trained on the Golems. More Golems began to appear all over the courtyard.

"No, Elma!" Arlen exclaimed. "You have to run and–" He turned back to face her, but she had completely disappeared from sight. "What!? No! Elma, please! Where are you, Elma!?"

The Golems surrounded the entire party in the center. They had amassed in the hundreds now, and they had just about filled the courtyard. "What now?" Alphonse asked, staring warily at the enemies.

"I'm... not sure..." Edward admitted as the Golems began to close in.

Alexander summoned his Lockshield and stood in a fighting stance before the Golems. A burning hatred shone brightly within his eyes. How **dare** they be affiliated with the ones who had turned his sister to darkness!?

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	14. Coming to an End

Chapter 13  
Coming to an End

Surrounded by hundreds of Golems. Not exactly the best of situations. Of course, Alexander and Sora had experienced the thousand Heartless battle, and they and Riku had fought hundreds of Nobodies after the defeat of Xemnas. They were used to being surrounded.

But Golems were different. Dusks, Armored Knights, and Surveillance Robots had reactions that the party could use to their advantage, like Reversal or Rising Sun. Golems, belonging to a different universe, had nothing that the Keyblade or the Lockshield could convert to a reaction. So they would have to do this the hard way.

Edward charged first, jumping up and kicking one Golem out of the way. He then parried another's fist and punched it back, then spun around to kick another behind him. Alphonse waited for his enemies, and slammed his fists and feet into his opponents. Being the armored hulk that he was, he was able to get past the Golems' defenses relatively easily.

Arlen stood behind Hawkeye, holding a wooden staff, while the lieutenant fired at more of the Golems with her pistol. Sora, Riku, and Kairi stayed together, fending the Golems off with their blades.

Alexander charged forward with an extended Crimson Catalyst's blade, slicing one of the Golems. Without any wasted time, he slashed through many more of them, making sure to cut up as many enemies in little time. He had some rage to vent out, and these Golems were his targets. The rage acted as strength to him, and he had no problem with a power boost.

Edward, after kicking another Golem away with him metal leg, clapped his hands together and placed them on the ground. Out of blue sparks, a huge mass of rock shot up out of the ground in front of him, sending up the unsuspecting Golems who were in the area of his transmutation. Those Golems were defeated, but the remaining ones just walked over their limp forms. They were still outnumbered.

Alexander met up with the rest of the party, who had regrouped after being pushed back by the advances of the enemy. "There's too many of them!" Sora exclaimed, and even the blindingly enraged Interference had to agree.

Edward growled, and charged again, but stopped as humongous stone spike rose up from the ground and hurled a large number of the Golems into the air. It hadn't been Edward's alchemy. Edward gasped at the sight, but he was brought back to reality by a voice.

"Are you having difficulties, Edward Elric?" a deep voice scoffed at them. Everyone looked to see a Golem with a stone spike embedded in its back. "How can one struggle against an enemy whose only strength is in its number?" The Golem fell down, revealing the form of Major Armstrong a distance behind it. He was shirtless, and he wore his gauntlets.

Armstrong posed, flexing his muscles. "Behold, hideous deformations! Sample the marriage of alchemy and physical strength, passed down the Armstrong line for generations! Part might, part erudite!!"

Armstrong stretched the muscles in his arms and back, and lightly tapped the ground with one gauntlet. With some small sparks, another set of gigantic stone spikes rose up from the ground and sent the Golems flying.

Stunned by this display, the party was then surprised by a snapping sound and a sudden explosion behind them. Everyone turned to see a Golem collapse into flame, and Colonel Mustang with his gloves at the ready. "That wasn't too much, was it?" Mustang asked mockingly. "It's so hard holding yourself back in battle... when you're fighting brainless drudge."

Hawkeye smiled a little. "Colonel..."

As Mustang approached them, he snapped his fingers several times, causing sparks and explosions in random parts of the crowd of unsuspecting Golems. He was apparently having too much fun. As Hawkeye saluted him, Mustang smirked. "My sincerest apologies, Lieutenant. We did mean to arrive a little earlier..."

Edward turned away from the sight of Armstrong doing basic stretches and creating more stone spikes at the same time. "Geez..." Edward groaned, "don't you guys know how to come onto a scene... without **making** a scene?! You're so attention-starved!"

Mustang grinned. "Right. You knew I had to show my face sometime." Shaking his head to signal a change in subject, he said, "So how are things going, Fullmetal? Looks like this was a close call. Guess that means you owe me one."

Hawkeye suddenly had her guard up. Not noticing this, Edward muttered, "I don't owe you anything. These Golems couldn't get an inch on – **aaugh!**" At that precise moment, Mustang had caused an explosion right behind Edward, where a bunch of Golems had been creeping up on the young alchemist. The flaming Golems piled up on Edward as they were thrown to the ground.

"And now..." Mustang mused, "you owe me two."

"Argh!" Edward yelled, struggling to get free from the pile of Golems. "If you're my backup, then _back me up_!!"

Mustang laughed out loud, amused by the remark. "That's funny. But I'm not here for backup, Fullmetal." When the non-officers gave him a funny look, he explained, "You fought bravely enough. Now you can leave it in the hands of the state." He raised his left hand, and motioned silently as he stepped out of the way.

Apparently following that cue, a bunch of military soldiers came through the outer gate to the cloister, bearing rifles. The soldiers started shooting at the Golems, taking them out slowly. The arena was soon filled with smoke, shattered stone, and the sound of explosions as the Golems were slowly but surely wiped out from the area.

* * *

_Down at the very bottom of the Spire of Lebis..._

The home of the Crimson Elixir was a round circular room in front of the king's throne. In the center of a small spire was the huge red gleaming stone itself. Blood slowly dripped from the tiny hole in the glass ceiling above it, and fell onto the Elixir, making it shine a little bit brighter each time.

The Phantom stood right next to the Elixir's pillar, gazing at the stone silently. Crowley entered the room, a little amused by her presence there. "Well, now..." he mused. "So you've been playing in here. I was wondering where you'd scampered off to."

As Crowley approached her, the Phantom made her strange hissing/growling sound. And Crowley seemed to understand it, replying, "No, I'm not upset with you. But we're certainly fond of this room, aren't we?" He paused for a moment in contemplation. "No... no, it's the stone that you love." Smirking, he turned toward the Elixir and added, "Yes, and I love this stone as well."

A chuckle came from the entrance to the room, and a man in a dark cloak came through it. Lifting his hood, a dark-skinned man with thick black hair was revealed. "I can see why you might admire this stone," he remarked. "If I may say so, it seems to be shining a bit more beautifully today." His tone was one designed to stay on their good side.

Crowley nodded slowly, entranced by the Elixir's sheen. "Yes, Dilan... And with more human blood, it reaches an even deeper crimson... The color of life, flaring up..."

The Phantom hissed again, and Crowley stared at her. "Soon... It will be soon, my dear. You, I, and even this Elixir – we're all incomplete at the moment... But this nightmare is about to end. So many have come to graciously offer their lives... all for the completion of the Elixir."

Dilan smirked as the Phantom hissed once more. Crowley smiled at her. "And I would do anything for you, my love... Even if I were to be named a devil. Even if this land were to crumble. Even if my body were to perish..."

The mysterious Phantom made another sound. Crowley suddenly turned toward the throne, in which a rotting skeletal corpse was seated. "I am going through with this Arlen..." he growled, "in the name of the king of Lebis!"

Dilan's smirk disappeared, and he walked away from the room. "What a fool he is," he muttered as soon as he was out of earshot. "He won't even recognize his existence within a child's video game." He glanced back at the room, which was glowing red with the shine of the Elixir. "Still..." he mumbled, "that Elixir is very important. More important than even he realizes, the simple-minded fool."

The Heartless apprentice came to a stop, and his smile returned. "Come hither, Alexander..." he declared sarcastically. "Witness the terror you have wrought upon this universe..."

* * *

Alexander, followed by Edward, Alphonse, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mustang, Hawkeye, Armstrong, and Arlen, walked into the square of the spire. Everyone looked up at the Spire of Lebis, the structure in the center of the pit in front of them. 

"So this is the Spire of Lebis..." Alphonse mumbled, a little awed at the sight.

Alex looked up at the spire, a scowl dominating his expression. "And Crowley, Dilan, and Erica are waiting inside..." he muttered darkly.

The situation thus far had already been explained to the military officers present. "My men are fighting the Golems in town," Mustang pointed out. "Let's head inside and defeat them while we still can."

Kairi looked a little wary. "But... Colonel... how exactly do we enter the tower?"

"Hmm. A paradox indeed," Armstrong remarked. "There is no bridge that will reach it from here."

Riku nodded slowly. "It's not just the lack of a bridge..." he added. "I don't see any entrances, period."

Edward growled something under his breath. "Come on, there's bound to be a way in," he whined. "How else could the _king_ of Lebis get inside?"

Arlen, who had remained silent up to this point, seemed to get an idea. "Hey, kid. Take out the Ring of Lebis Elma handed you." Confused, Edward pulled out the ring from his pocket. "Only royalty could wear the Ring of Lebis," Arlen explained when he saw the ring. "Without it, they could not enter royal dwellings."

"So this ring," Sora said, finally getting the point, "is like a key to the spire..."

"You don't say..." Edward mumbled, sounding and looking intrigued.

Alexander pointed toward a small platform jutting out from the pit's edge. It seemed to have another circle adorned with ancient runes. "See that transmutation circle?" Alex asked, remembering what had to be done from the game. "Put on the ring and try using alchemy inside of the circle."

Edward hesitantly slipped the ring onto a finger, and stepped onto the circle. "Um... like this?" He clapped his hands and placed one on the inside of the circle. Almost immediately, huge red sparks appeared around the edge of the platform. The sparks moved forward, creating a stone bridge slowly as they came closer and closer to the spire. When they contacted the spire, the sparks dissipated, leaving a perfectly connected bridge to the spire. What was more, a stone panel on the side of the spire slid up, revealing a passage to the inside.

Arlen grinned. "Good show, sport! Alright, let's hustle. I'll guide you once we're inside."

Armstrong did a take. "What? No!" he protested. "This is forbidden! We know not of the dangers that lurk inside." Alex tried to subtly clear his throat. Armstrong didn't notice this, declaring, "The elderly must stay behind!"

Arlen quickly became hostile. "What? Hogwash! Those dangers are exactly why you need me! How do you plan on getting through without an expert?"

Alexander wasn't feeling too charitable right now, so he decided to point something out against Arlen. "Actually, if I remember correctly, there's technically only one path to the king's chambers. And the only danger we'll be facing is a horde of Golems and perhaps Heartless. So we don't need some helpless guy dragging us down, you know," he finished irritably.

While Arlen gaped at the boy, Mustang nodded at his remarks. "We appreciate your cooperation," he stated. "But we cannot guarantee your safety beyond this point. Leave the rest to the military."

"Screw the military!" Arlen snapped angrily. "And I don't need no guarantee for my safety! You don't know these ruins! You don't know Crowley!"

Alex was just about ready to snap himself. So he turned on the old man and muttered, "Listen, Arlen. While we're talking about things we don't know, let me let you in on a few." He glared directly into Arlen's eyes. "You don't know Dilan, you don't know my sister, you don't know what's going to happen in advance, and you don't flippin' know how to fight, period! So back off before we drag you away already!!"

Alphonse glanced nervously at the colonel as Alexander and Arlen glared daggers at each other. "Colonel..." Alphonse mumbled, gesturing at the spire to indicate that they should get going soon.

Mustang nodded at him, and looked back at Arlen. "We can't take a civilian along with us. Unnecessary casualties must be avoided, understand? Now let's go."

Alexander shot one last glare at Arlen, then rejoined his comrades. As the party started to walk into the tower, Arlen screamed, "Hey! Wait! Dammit, you twerps! You can't leave me here!"

The colonel looked back at a couple of soldiers that had come along with them, and ordered, "You! Escort this gentleman to a safe place! On the double!"

"Yes sir!" one of the soldiers replied, saluting. The two soldiers quickly apprehended Arlen, who struggled as they held him back from the others.

"Wh-Who the hell are you guys!?" Arlen exclaimed, still struggling in vain. "Out of my way! I'm going in, too!"

Edward sighed, and looked back at Arlen. "Gramps... I'll stop him, I promise. Leave the dirty work to us." Turning back, he said, "Al! Everyone! Let's go!"

Arlen just about exploded. "#$&#!" he spluttered. (That wasn't censorship, that was the best way to describe the sound he was making as he censored himself.) "Are you outta your minds!? It's _my job_ to stop Crowley! **My job**!! I will not leave it to you, you punk!" As they continued to walk away, he screamed, "Dammit! Come back, I'm telling you!!! There's no guarantee for **your** friggin' safety in there! Do you hear me!?"

Alex couldn't help but shoot a malicious grin back at Arlen. "Look who thinks he's the main protagonist." Finally, the entire party entered the spire, leaving Arlen to fend for himself in the military's custody.

* * *

The group entered a long dark hall, somewhat like the one from the temple of Leto's chapel. At the end of a hall was a large circular clearing. In the center was a round depression, and three raised transmutation circles were around it, much like the one that had teleported them through the city earlier. "Hmm... Fascinating..." Armstrong said. 

Mustang stared at one of the transmutation platforms. "Is this... a transmutation circle?" he asked tentatively

Hawkeye suddenly recognized the look of them. "Wait. This transmutation circle looks like..."

Alexander nodded. "It's the same one that we saw back in the city entrance. An ancient circle written in ancient runes. We must be looking at another transportation device."

Armstrong walked onto one of the platforms. Alphonse panicked. "Woah! Woah! No, Major, don't–" But the young boy cut himself off as he realized that nothing was happening. No shining light, no vanishing into thin air. Nothing. "...Huh?"

The major just gave Alphonse a strange look. "Hm? Is something the matter?"

This confused the party even further. "Nothing's... happening?" Sora mumbled. Glancing at Edward, he said, "Ed, what do you suppose..."

Mustang stepped onto the farmost circle, but still nothing happened. "Do you know something about these transmutation circles?" he asked the party.

Riku grumbled something incoherent, then said, "Well, if these were the same as the one in town, you would have instantly been transported somewhere else, but..."

Hawkeye nodded, turning to them as she stepped onto the third one. "This one doesn't seem to do anything," she noted.

Edward grimaced. "Hmm... I don't get it..." he admitted, deeply intrigued and confused at the same time. Suddenly taking notice of the round depression in the middle, the Elric brothers walked toward it. Alex suddenly panicked. "Wait a minute!"

But Edward and Alphonse had already stepped into the depression. The room was filled with a bright blue light for a moment. "Hey, Ed," Alphonse mumbled, staring at his brother strangely. "Is your ring, um... shining?"

Edward looked at the ring on his hand, and saw that it was indeed the source of the strange glow. "What's this?" The glow's brightness and pulse increased steadily. "Wooaahh!" Edward exclaimed.

Suddenly, the three transmutation circles began to shine with a familiar light. Everyone was surprised by this sudden activation.

"What in blazes...!" Mustang exclaimed.  
"Hmmmm?" Armstrong murmured, quickly wary.  
"Wait, I..." Hawkeye mumbled, suddenly panicked.

All three of them disappeared in the bright blue light, and the rest of their sentences were cut off. Everyone did a take. "They're gone..." Kairi said, "all three of them!" Glancing at Edward, she asked, "How's the ring?"

Edward scowled again. "The ring's back to normal..." he muttered. "So that means the ring must have acted like a key again..."

Alphonse looked around nervously. "So... what'll we do now?"

"We're moving ahead, of course," Edward declared, facing the rest of his comrades. "The question is," he added, "which of the three transmutation circles do we choose?"

Almost instantly, all eyes turned to Alexander. The Interference sighed under the sudden pressure. "Well, this certainly is a problem," he admitted. "Let's see what I remember about this." He thought for a moment, which probably felt like an eternity for the others.

"If I recall correctly," Alexander said after a moment, "each of the three circles leads to a path that still meets into one path near the end. However, all of the paths will be littered with Golems and Heartless. While I don't doubt the officers' fighting abilities, I'm not sure how they'll fare against Heartless."

There was a mutual agreement. Riku suddenly spoke up. "How about we split up?"

Alexander quickly nodded in agreement. "That sounds good. There's six of us, so we can easily go two to a circle. We'll all meet up later, so we won't be stranded. And that means we can go to assist all three of our friends. The question now, of course, is what teams of two will we pick, and with which officer?"

Everyone waited silently. Alex chuckled. "Oh, so it's my decision? That's generous of you all." He looked at all of them, then finally rested his gaze on Sora and Kairi. He chuckled a little. "I couldn't possibly even begin to dream of splitting you two apart. I guess you'll stick together."

"That leaves me," Edward pointed out, "Al, Riku, and you. So who will we be going with?"

Alexander had to think about it. He didn't necessarily want to split the Elric brothers up, but that would mean sticking with Riku, who would most likely berate Alex for slowly becoming consumed by darkness lately. He just hoped that the others trusted him enough.

"Alphonse, you go with Riku," he said finally. "I'll go with Edward." The Elrics gave each other a glance, then stepped to their partner's side. Alex thought some more. "Sora, Kairi, I think you two should go with Hawkeye."

_**Yeah, that'll keep 'em in line,**_ his Anti self chuckled. Shaking his head slightly, Alex said, "Al, Riku, you two go with Major Armstrong." It was hard to tell, but Alex could almost see Alphonse pale at the sound of having to stick with the major. Anti Alex laughed darkly again.

Edward sighed. "That leaves you and me with the Colonel?" He didn't seem to like the sound of that in the least, but Alex didn't blame him.

Alex nodded at him. "Is that alright with everyone?" he asked everyone. He heard mixed reactions, but most of them in the affirmative. Nodding to himself, he stepped onto the transmutation circle the colonel had gone through, with Edward following. The other groups got onto their respective circles.

As the circles began to shine, Alexander said, "Good luck, and we'll see you guys on the flipside." And with that, all six fighters disappeared from the Hall of Displacement. Now that they had begun their ascent in the spire, Alex knew that the game was coming to an end soon. He could only _wonder_ what that end would be like now, though.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	15. The Spire of Lebis: Ascent

Chapter 14  
The Spire of Lebis Ascent

In one section of the Spire, Lieutenant Hawkeye stood in front of the transmutation circle she had appeared out of, with her pistols at the ready. Out of nowhere, the circle began to shine, and Hawkeye turned toward it with her pistols raised.

From the blue light of the circle, Sora and Kairi appeared. Upon sight, Kairi waved at her. "Hi, Lieutenant Hawkeye!" she called out.

Hawkeye's expression softened a little, and she lowered her guns. "Oh, it's you two..." she mumbled, apparently having expected something more sinister.

Sora nodded. "Good to see you're intact, Lieutenant," he greeted her as he stepped off of the platform.

The lieutenant sighed, shaking her head. "I can't believe this happened," she berated herself. "I should have been more careful..."

Kairi shrugged a little. "Don't be so hard on yourself. It happened so suddenly. Besides, Alex says all three of those circles leads to the same place in the end."

Hawkeye gave the two of them a strange look, then realized what Kairi meant. "So where are the others?" she immediately asked.

* * *

Major Armstrong stopped pacing back in forth long enough to watch Alphonse and Riku appear from the circle he had appeared from. Riku shook his head. "If I wasn't used to this, I think I would know what my stomach tastes like by now... That process is nauseating..."

Alphonse seemed frightened by the sight of the major. "H-Hi, Major Armstrong..." he barely stuttered out.

Armstrong lowered his fists. "Ohhhhhhhh!!! Thank the stars you're alright!!!" he exclaimed with a wide pose. He ran toward them, and Riku suddenly paled.

"Wait... What are you doing!?" he demanded. Armstrong embraced Riku in a large bear hug, and several cracking sounds were heard. "**Nooo!!!**" Riku screamed from the pain.

"I was _soooooo_ concerned!" Armstrong continued, unaware of Riku's plight.

"My back...!" Riku muttered, eyes wide. Armstrong finally let go, and Riku collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Alphonse stared down at Riku, looking concerned. "R-Riku...?"

The major calmed down, and he finally noticed something important. "Hm? Wherever are the others?" he asked suddenly. "Were they not with you?"

Alphonse glanced toward him and shrugged. "The Colonel and the Lieutenant were probably transported to different locations. The six of us remaining split up to assist all of you. These paths should meet up at the same place."

Armstrong nodded. "Well, if we're in groups of three, the others should be able to fend for themselves. Let us move ahead on our own, shall we?"

Riku propped himself up on his Keyblade, looking both pained and angry. "Yes..." he muttered darkly. "Let's."

* * *

Colonel Mustang stared at the circle he had just stepped out of. "Hmm," he mumbled thoughtfully, "how to approach this..." Suddenly, the circle began to shine, and Mustang stood in a ready stance, prepared to summon flames if he needed to.

He didn't need to, obviously, because Alexander and a doubled-over Edward appeared in the circle. "Oh God, my stomach!" Edward moaned, gasping for breath. "I swear I'm gonna be decorating the walls with my lunch next time..."

Alexander wasn't as amused as he thought he would've been. "Hey, Colonel," he greeted Mustang evenly.

Mustang lowered his hand. "Ah, the elders Karsath and Elric..." Smirking, he remarked, "Be more careful, I almost made charcoal out of you."

**_Well _that's _an encouraging thought..._** Anti Alex muttered sarcastically.

"So what are you boys doing here?" Mustang asked, not missing a beat.

"What are we doing here?" Edward repeated in disbelief, recovering slowly. "We come after you, and that's all the thanks we get?"

Mustang smirked a little wider. "You want me to thank you?" he retorted. "When did I ever ask you to come after me?"

Edward scowled. "**Excuse** me?"

The colonel sighed mockingly. "Oh well. You're here, so that's that. Just don't do anything to weigh me down. Got that, Fullmetal?"

Edward nearly exploded from rage. "What!? You... I... Why... gaaack!!!" he screamed, with a lack of any coherent retort to the colonel's feigned ignorance.

Mustang laughed at Edward's reaction. "Hahaha. Take it easy. It's called _sarcasm_. Look it up." Becoming serious, he said, "What about the lieutenant and the major? Aren't they with you?"

Seeing a chance to actually get into this conversation, Alex quickly responded, "They were transported to different locations in the Spire. The remaining six of us split up into groups of two to join the other officers."

The colonel nodded. "Is that so... Well, the others can fend for themselves. We should get going, too."

The trio moved along the path. They reached a downward stair with some Cannon Adult Golems waiting at the bottom. Mustang snapped his fingers a couple of times, and they exploded into flames. At the end of the stairs and the path ahead, there was a drop down to a hallway below, guarded by many Warrior Golems. Edward found some rubble and transmuted the piles into tall pillars. Edward punched the pillars, and they toppled over, crushing the Golems below. The trio jumped down to the hallway and dashed toward a long upward staircase up ahead.

The three of them reached the second ascent. It was basically a combination of two long guarded hallways. The first hallway had a few more Cannon Adults at the far end, and Neoshadow Heartless appeared to face them while the Golems picked them off with their lasers. Alexander dashed past the Heartless and headed straight for the Golems, dodging their laser strikes while Edward and Mustang faced the Neoshadows. Alex transmuted his Lockshield, extending the blade, and spun around in a circle, slashing the Golems until they had been defeated. By that time, the two State Alchemists had finished their work, and they were able to move on.

The second hallway was similar in design, but more difficult in nature. This time, along with several Cannon Adults, there were Tanker Golems firing their large lasers from within the niches along the walls. And as they moved along, they were confronted by Crimson Jazz Heartless, which Mustang's attacks were no good against. So Alexander confronted the Heartless this time, Edward dashed ahead toward the Golems (making sure to dodge the Tankers' and Adults' lasers), and Mustang attacked the Tankers, damaging them slowly. It was about ten minutes before the hallway was clear and they could reach the next staircase, to the third ascent.

At the third ascent, the three fighters reached a large square room. It was the perfect place for an ambush, Alex realized. What made him realize this was the fact that the doors to the room closed behind them and in front of them, and Armored Knight and Surveillance Robot Heartless appeared to confront them.

Edward looked back. "Oh no, the doors...!" he exclaimed, as if it needed explaining.

Mustang glared at the Heartless. As he tightened his gloves, he muttered, "Just some shadows made real... Do you really think you have a chance against me?"

Alexander felt the rage from the fight in the city's cloister return to him. "Get out of the way!" Alex yelled, and charged at the Armored Knights. With his last rational thought for the moment, he switched the Lockshield's design to the Heartless Seal. He felt his old power return to him, and he could suddenly see reactions that he could use. As one Armored Knight jumped toward him, he remembered Rising Sun. He jumped over the Heartless, glowed for a moment, then dived through the mass of Heartless, slashing a good number of them up.

Edward transmuted a sword and clashed with another Armored Knight. He struggled against the Heartless for a moment, then he parried the creature's sword and stabbed right through it, making the Armored Knight dissipate. He clapped his hands together and transmuted his sword into two thin katanas, and charged at a couple other Armored Knights.

Mustang started snapping his fingers right and left, focusing his attacks on the Surveillance Robots. Some of the Robots that hadn't been attacked yet tried to shoot him with their laser bursts, but the colonel smoothly sidestepped the attacks. Mustang's explosions met the Heartless dead on, and even when it didn't, the blast radius was enough to stun them until another attack.

Alex, his anger vented out for now and fed up with the increasing number of Heartless, jumped up and grabbed one remaining Surveillance Robot Heartless that was charging its beam. He landed back on the ground and squeezed on the sides of the creature. "Watch out!" he warned his comrades as the Surveillance Robot's large beam shot out. Alex spun around, obliterating the rest of the other Heartless with this reaction. When the beam faded, Alex threw it back into the air. It was immediately destroyed by Mustang's alchemy.

As the doors on both sides of the room opened, the three of them met in the middle, and Alexander casted Curaga over them all for good measure. Alex sighed in relief; he hadn't used that spell in a while, and he'd almost forgotten how good the healing process felt for those few moments.

"Is that it? Hm," Mustang chuckled. "Fighting is easy when you know they're not human... You don't have to worry about holding back."

Edward grunted incoherently. Alexander looked a little worried. "Is it just me, or was that the only Heartless-only battle we've fought so far? Usually, they were paired up with the Golems." The others didn't seem to recognize the significance of it. "I'm not sure," Alex admitted, "but maybe the relationship between Heartless and Golem isn't as safe as I had first thought..."

Mustang shrugged. "Let's get going..." He started to walk toward the path ahead, and Alex started to follow after a moment. But Edward remained where he was. Alex noticed this and looked back. He didn't say anything; he was pretty sure of what was about to transpire.

"Hey, Colonel..." Edward mumbled suddenly. "Am I... Am I gonna have to take another person's life?"

The colonel immediately turned to face him. "You mean Jack Crowley and Erica Karsath?" he asked, unwittingly bringing Alex's attention as well. "Remember, you're a 'dog of the military.' You have to live with that risk..."

"...Of being ordered to kill others. I know – or I thought I knew," the young alchemist grumbled. "I thought I was prepared, but..."

Mustang scowled. "'But I can't kill people, that's not what alchemy is for.' Is that what you want to say?" When Edward only sighed, Mustang quickly added, "I suggest you concentrate on staying alive right now. A moment's hesitation could mean instant death."

Edward still couldn't say anything. Alex decided to cut in. "I won't say I can't relate to how you feel. While my sister has become a Heartless now, she's still a part of my little sister. It'll be hard when the time comes. But we can't let something trivial like that get in the way of protecting this world." Alex almost choked on the words, but he managed to force them out. He didn't like what he was saying, but it had to be said.

"Trivial, huh..." Edward muttered.

Mustang nodded at him. "You're going to get your bodies back, no matter what it takes. Remember, _you're_ the one who said that. Believe in the path you have chosen. But if it starts to look like you're crossing the line, like Crowley or Erica..." He paused for a moment, letting his following words sink in. "...Then I shall take it upon myself to set you straight."

Alexander sighed. Now he saw what Mustang was getting to, even if Mustang himself didn't know it. This was not the time to give into his dark side, no matter how much he hated his sister's actions. That was the beginning of what had been Erica's path, and Alex was not to cross that line... ever.

Mustang turned away, looking ahead. "Let's go, Fullmetal Alchemist." He started to walk away. Alex looked at Edward, who looked back at him.

"I'm alright..." Edward chided him softly. Then, with more determination, he stated, "We **are** getting our bodies back, Alphonse and I... No matter what it takes." Getting into his stance, he yelled, "Alright, let's get going, Alexander!"

Alex hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Right!!" They ran after Mustang, who was waiting for them on the other side of the room.

Mustang smirked. "So you've finally come to your senses." He dug his hand into his pocket, and tossed the contents at Alexander. "Here, take this."

Alexander caught it. It was a glove. Gasping in surprise, he realized that this was one of the colonel's flame gloves.

"It's one of my spare gloves," Mustang explained. "I think you'll be needing it more than I will in the future. You can use alchemy pretty well; I'm sure you know how to use my technique by now."

Alex nodded slowly, and studied the glove for a few moments. It was a left-hand glove, for one thing. The material felt like a mix between rubber and wool. The perfect ignition cloth. It was dense enough that a quick rub, or, in this case, a snap, would easily produce a spark. However, Alex would have to use his left hand, making the act of snapping his fingers a little more tricky. Not much trickier; just enough to be annoying.

Alexander slipped his left glove off and put the flame glove on. Then he placed his original gray fingerless glove over it. Alex grinned. _Perfect._ This cleverly hid the transmutation circle on the back of the flame glove, but allowed the fingers of the flame glove to poke through, letting Alex snap his fingers to hopefully produce a spark.

The three fighters moved on. The next room contained a bunch of Golem Kids. Alex looked down at his glove, and switched his Lockshield's design to the Crimson Catalyst. He concentrated on the alchemy involved in this technique. _Increase the oxygen concentration in the air, with the highest concentration at the site of the intended explosion..._ In his mind, he imagined a path of air leading to one of the enemies. He saw a slight wavering in the air that followed his imagined trail.

_Rub the cloth enough to create a spark to ignite that highly concentrated air..._ He snapped his fingers in the beginning of the trail, and the contact created a spark. The spark traveled along the trail until it reached the area around the Golem Kid. An explosion occurred, damaging the enemy greatly. The entire process had taken all of a few seconds.

Alex grinned. Mustang rolled his eyes. "A little crude," he remarked, "but at least you're getting the hang of it."

The technique wasn't always effective, though. He was restricted to long range so that he wasn't anywhere near the site of the explosion. Also, snapping the fingers of his left hand often proved difficult, and he sometimes didn't make a spark at all. After trial and error, he decided to leave it as an extra long range ability, and went back to slashing up the enemies with his Lockshield's blade.

They climbed the stairs to the fourth ascent. The fighters found themselves in a rectangular room with a long hallway ahead. Many Heartless began to spawn from the hallway and approach the room they were in.

"Hey Alex!" Edward shouted, indicating some piles of rubble in their room. There were two large piles on either side of the hallway entrance. Alex nodded, and dashed over to the two piles on the left side. He transmuted them both into pillars. Edward did the same on his side. They waited until the Heartless, which happened to be the Morning Star kind, came into the room. Then Alexander and Edward bashed the pillars, sending them toppling onto the unsuspecting Heartless. The ones that weren't crushed to oblivion were still damaged and taken out by Mustang.

The small party continued down the hall and reached another drop to a hallway. They jumped down and were immediately confronted by a couple of Golem Elders. Alex and Mustang quickly started snapping their gloved fingers, creating explosions to throw the Elders off their guard. While the Golems were stunned, Edward ran toward them and transmuted the ground into Stonespikes, impaling the Golems and defeating them.

At last, they reached an empty hallway, leading into a dark room up ahead. There were two other paths on the sides leading to that same door. As the three fighters reached the door, they heard a shout:

"Alexander!"

Everyone looked, and saw Sora waving at them from down the pathway on the right, with Kairi and Hawkeye behind him. On the other side, they saw Riku followed by Armstrong and Alphonse. Edward waved at his brother, who waved back.

Alex chuckled at Riku's appearance. He looked like he had been bruised pretty badly. Riku came up to Alex and glared daggers into his eyes. "You meant to have me go alongside the major, didn't you?" he growled under his breath so that only Alex heard it.

Alexander grinned sheepishly, holding up his hands defensively. "Whatever do you mean?" he asked quietly, feigning innocence. Riku backed away, grumbled something under his breath, and followed the others into the next room.

* * *

The room was a long hall extending into an atrium-like structure, much like the Hall of Displacement back at the beginning of the Spire journey. However, in the middle of the clearing was a platform with two large strange statues at the side, and a stone tablet in the middle.

"What do we have here?" Armstrong inquired immediately.

Kairi stared up at the statues. "They look like Golem statues." Alex looked closer, and saw that her opinion was justified. They looked very similar to Golem Elders, except they had strange circles on their abdomens. These twin statues meant something; Alex knew that. He just didn't remember what. He wasn't as much of a guru of this game as Erica was. He felt a pang of regret as he thought that, but pushed it aside.

Alphonse stepped forward and looked around. "Wait a minute..." he suddenly said. "It doesn't look like there are any other paths out of this room..."

Riku groaned. "Please don't tell me we're at a dead end..."

Sora glanced at Hawkeye, who was inspecting the stone tablet. "Um... what are you looking at?" he asked the lieutenant tentatively.

Hawkeye stared for a few more moments, then shook her head. "I was inspecting this stele for clues, but I can't decipher it. It seems to be in ancient runes."

Mustang scowled. "You wouldn't happen to be able to read Lebisic runes, would you, Alexander?"

Alex shrugged, admitting defeat for now. "I know this room has some method of moving on, but I can't quite remember what it is. I'm stumped for now..."

"Ingrates!" a voice came from behind them. "That's what you get for not taking me with you!"

Edward quickly turned around. "Who's there!?" But he stopped when he recognized who it was. It was Arlen. "G-Gramps!" Edward exclaimed. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Arlen smirked. "Hmph. Those damned soldiers tried to hold me down, so I gave them two or three smacks apiece! I guess our military men ain't worth diddly-squat if a geezer like me can beat the crap out of 'em." He became serious again, but some of his smile remained. "Anyhow, you want to know what's on that stele, right? Leave it to me. That's right up my alley."

Alexander looked more than a little surprised. "Why did you come after us? It's dangerous for you, with the Golems and Heartless haunting every inch of this place..."

The old man grimaced. "And it's worthless for you, going into these ruins without an expert," he retorted. "I thought I told you that."

Mustang sighed. "Maybe so, but–"

Edward cut him off, smiling for a change. "Aw, c'mon, Colonel. We couldn't have done anything without the old guy anyway."

Sora nodded in agreement. "He's right. At least we won't be any worse off with Mr. Glostner around."

Arlen grinned. "And there you go," he stated matter-of-factly. "So, uh, officers... and you Keyblade guys... why don't you go over there and, uh, stand guard for us, huh?"

The Keybladers were confused, but gave Arlen the room he wanted. Hawkeye and Armstrong joined them. Mustang sighed. "Tsk. I'd be delighted," he muttered sarcastically. "And I'm the one who's going to be held responsible if something happens..."

* * *

As the others watched the door for incoming Golems or Heartless, Edward, Alphonse, and Alexander watched Arlen translate the stele. Arlen suddenly stood up straight and grinned. "Hey, I got it now," he announced. "This stele tells us how to get to the queen's chamber."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "The queen's chamber?"

Arlen nodded. "Only royalty could use the grand arcanum of Lebis. So back then, alchemy was restricted to the king and queen. In other words, beyond this room is a special place where only the king and queen could enter."

Alexander nodded, starting to remember what was to happen. "Hmm... Interesting..." he mumbled. "So, how are we supposed to get to this 'special place'?"

Arlen looked back at the stele. "Two hands of royalty... or alchemists... held up to the golem statues at the same time would open the 'way,' it says."

"Is that all?" Edward asked in disbelief. "It can't be that easy."

Alexander nodded slowly. "Well, his deciphering is right. You might as well just do it." As Edward and Alphonse approached the twin Golem statues, Alex suddenly remembered what was going to happen. Looking back at the others, he said, "Hey, Edward...!"

But it was too late. Edward's and Alphonse's hands were on the golem statues. The circles on the statues began to shine. Then, out of nowhere, a circle appeared under their feet, extending across the radius of the statues. It looked exactly like the transportation circles they'd used earlier.

Edward, Alphonse, Arlen, and Alexander disappeared, leaving the others behind. Riku looked back in surprise. "What the...?"

* * *

The four of them appeared on a teleportation transmutation circle in a dimly lit hallway. Edward was doubled over yet again. "Ugh..." he moaned. "You know, this whole process isn't getting any easier on my stomach..."

Arlen grinned wide. "What's the matter, punk?" he chuckled. "Don't tell me that made you tipsy! Haw haw haw! Amateur!"

Edward glared at him. "Hey, I happen to be a sensitive guy – unlike you, Gramps."

Alphonse looked around. "Wait a sec... Hey Alex! There's only four of us here!"

Alexander also took a look, and saw that their comrades were nowhere to be seen. "Were they transported somewhere else?" he asked, a little lightheaded from the trip. Then he shook his head slightly, quickly adding, "No, no, they must have been outside of the circle while standing guard for us. They must have been left behind."

Alphonse jumped in fright. "Left behind!? Oh no... What should we do?" he demanded.

Edward shrugged. "Well, I don't think there's too much to worry about. The major and the colonel are alchemists, too. I only hope the six of them can catch up with us... Waiting for them here isn't gonna help, anyway. We've gotta keep moving on."

The younger Elric brother nodded slowly. "Yeah..." he admitted finally. "I guess you're right."

They walked down the hallway, and turned left at the corner. What they beheld in the next room took their breath away. It was a beautiful chamber, with streaming waterfalls on the left side, and a flowery set of windows along the other side, letting the sunlight settle into the room. In the center was a circular garden. It looked very peaceful. Nothing like a battlefield at all.

"Where are we now...?" Edward asked quietly, a little awestruck.

Alphonse gazed at the surroundings. "It sure is bright and pretty." After a moment, he suggested, "You think it's the queen's chambers?"

Arlen nodded, more to himself rather than to the others. "Yes... Yes, that's surely it. So that must mean he's–"

Cutting Arlen off was a loud sound coming from the small garden in the center. A teal pool had appeared in it, and a blue-green figure appeared from the murky portal. It was the Phantom.

Edward was immediately on his guard. "What the...!?" he exclaimed.

A girl's laugh echoed through the room, and a dark portal appeared beside the Phantom. Erica stepped out of the portal, grinning. "Recognize her, do you?" she asked. "From Resembool, I would think."

Alexander reluctantly summoned his Lockshield, and held up his other hand with the flame glove. Erica looked curiously at it, but said nothing of it. Instead, she said, "I'm surprised, Brother, that you've made it this far. I didn't think you were that knowledgeable of this game universe."

Arlen gasped. "Game universe?" he repeated under his breath. Alex almost slapped his own forehead in annoyance. Arlen hadn't been made aware of the game yet!

"Arlen! Get away from here!" Alex shouted. "I have a feeling it's about to get messy!" Arlen hesitated for a moment, then ran out of the room. Alex breathed a silent sigh of relief. One less problem out of the way.

Edward glared at the two enemies. "So where's Crowley?" he demanded. "Just tell us where to go, and..." Seeing Erica's smirk, he cut himself off. "Silly me," he growled, "like we'd have it that easy."

The Phantom made her strange sound. But now there seemed to be a couple of words. "...your... life..." she hissed. "Give... me... your... life... The... E...li...x...ir..."

The trio shivered at the Phantom's few words. "'Give me... your life'?" Alphonse repeated with a little fear in his voice.

"'The Elixir...'" Edward mumbled.

Erica cackled insanely. "That's right!" she retorted. "The only thing you'll accomplish now is giving the Elixir your lives! And, in this case, your _hearts_!" She lifted her hand up into the air, and twirled it a little.

Out of the dark void, several metal pieces fell to the ground behind Erica. After bouncing around once or twice, the pieces levitated into the air and came together. Two gauntlets, two metal boots, a metal torso and helmet. Alexander refrained from cursing under his breath. It was the Guard Armor Heartless.

Erica laughed some more. "You've had it easy up until now," she stated. "Facing only Golem bosses. But now you get the best of both sides!" Pointing directly at Alex, she screamed, "Prepare to die, dear brother!"

The fight began. The Phantom charged at the Elrics, and Alexander charged at Erica. Erica transmuted a lance out of the ground. But Alex managed to pass Erica while she was doing that, and he headed for the Guard Armor. The gauntlets began to spin around, and Alex ducked under them to attack the feet. He was a pretty high level in gaming terms, so Erica's summoning of a Guard Armor might not have been the smartest of moves. Alex bashed and slashed the feet a few times, and they exploded into darkness. The metal torso, head, and arms still remained.

By that time, Erica had managed to get into a battle stance, and had rushed toward Alexander. Noticing this, Alex quickly spun around and deflected her lance attack. But one of the Guard Armor's gauntlets smacked Alex's back, sending him flying. Erica smirked as he landed in a heap a good distance away.

Alex slowly got up, quickly trying to think of a plan. With them double-teaming him, he'd need some way of attacking both at once, or at least getting one off of him while he got the other. He suddenly saw Erica charging at him again. Panicking, he shouted, "_Reflega_!" A barrier of light deflected Erica's strike. After a moment, a blast of light shot back at her, hitting her with the same force she'd used, sending her careening backward.

Alex now had a free shot at the Guard Armor. He ran forward and jumped up toward the floating hands. He bashed one in midair a couple of times, and it exploded into the nothingness. The other one came around to swat him away, but Alex spun around and deflected it. He then used the bought time to bash that hand into oblivion as well.

Erica had now since recovered, and was on her way to Alex. Still wanting to keep her away until the Guard Armor was taken care of, Alex clapped his hands together and placed one on the ground. A large row of Stonespikes appeared and knocked Erica back. Alex smirked. She definitely was underestimating him.

He looked back up at the Guard Armor. It was just the torso and head now. Without the arms or legs, the torso's defense would be much less now. Alex lengthened his shield's blade and stabbed it into the spinning torso. The blade ran across the entire midsection of the Heartless body, nearly shearing it in two. When Alex pulled his blade out, the Guard Armor collapsed into a heap of metal. It dissipated into the darkness, and a heart floated out of it.

Alex heard a war cry behind him as Erica charged at his back once more. He had only seconds before Erica's lance met his back. So, thinking on instinct, he turned his Lockshield around and pointed the blade under his arm and behind him.

There was a sickening sound as Erica suddenly ran herself into the Lockshield's blade. Her lance was still raised up; it was inches away from Alex's neck. But she wasn't moving. She had a blade stabbing through her abdomen. She stumbled back and fell off the blade, and the darkness covered up the wound in her Heartless body.

Alex stood up straight and looked down at Erica. His little sister gave him an evil smile. "Well, it's finally been proved. You were the one who destroyed your sibling first."

The Interference shook his head. "No, Erica. You destroyed yourself. Being a Heartless no longer makes you count as a human. You ceased to be alive the moment you surrendered to the darkness that Dilan introduced you to. This isn't murder, or even self-defense, Erica. I'm merely taking out a Heartless."

Erica looked shocked by these words, but her expression turned into a glare. "Lies!" she cried out suddenly. "You're the one who betrayed – urk!" She was cut off as her body began to dissipate into the darkness. Alex watched as his sister's Heartless body disappeared out of existence. Finally, it was done.

Alex heard a cry from the side as the Phantom fell down to the grassy garden in the center of the chamber. Edward and Alphonse slowly settled out of their fighting stances. It seemed the Phantom had been defeated.

"Do you think she's... dead?" Alphonse asked slowly, his voice wavering. Edward said nothing, but slowly started to walk toward the enemy. But he suddenly stopped as the Phantom's body glowed a dark violet, sparking a little. When the purple light faded, in the Phantom's place was none other than Elma lying down on the ground.

"That... can't be!" Arlen exclaimed. He slowly walked toward Elma's limp body. "It ca... No... Elma...!" He dashed over to her and knelt by her side. "Elma! Elma! Wake up! Please!" Edward, Alphonse, and Alexander dashed over to her as well.

Elma opened her eyes slightly, but that was as far as she went. She was too weak to even sustain her life for much longer. Arlen panicked. "Stay with me!"

Elma smiled a little at the sight of her old friend. "Arlen..."

Arlen was still confused and worried. He was in a mix of a wide range of emotions. "Elma... But I don't understand! How could you have been that monster...?"

"Arlen..." Elma mumbled, her voice betraying her weakness at this moment. "The stone... You must destroy it..."

"The stone? What is this stone?" Arlen asked quickly, sensing that Elma didn't have much time. "What do you mean?"

"It's a great big crimson stone..." Elma replied at length. "Please, Arlen... If you destroy it, he'll stop this..."

"The crimson stone?" Arlen repeated. He nodded very slightly. "Okay, Elma, I understand. I'll find it, I promise."

Elma shifted her gaze ever so slightly to Alexander, who suddenly felt self-conscious. "I see you did it..." she stated. "I'm sorry that this game... had to bring such sorrow to you..."

Arlen was still confused. "What!? What do you mean 'this game'? You can't seriously mean that this is just some child's game? All of this, just for another's amusement!?"

"No, Arlen..." Elma said quietly, cutting him off. "This is more than just a game... Thanks to him..." she added, nodding toward Alex. Alexander let out a small gasp.

Elma looked toward Edward. "I thank you..." she mumbled. Edward looked away, his expression a sad one. She was thanking him because he had fulfilled her last wish: to die. "Please..." she pleaded, "you have to... stop them... next..."

Edward nodded, knowing she meant Crowley and Dilan. "Yeah..." he replied. "We'll do that..." Alphonse also nodded to her.

Elma looked back at Arlen, and started to whimper in pain. "Elma!" Arlen shouted, fearful again.

Elma smiled at him. "Goodbye, Arlen... I'm sorry..." She closed her eyes, and didn't open them once more.

"Elma, no...!" Arlen exclaimed. "No, don't go! Please... Don't, Elma...! Elma, no..." He hugged her limp body closely and started to sob on her shoulder. The sadness of the moment washed over all of them.

After a few moments, Arlen pulled away from Elma in surprise. Her entire body had transformed into a figure of mud, which promptly slipped through his fingers. Some of the lighter sand particles rose up into the air, giving the passing of Elma a very supernatural feel.

"Wh... What was she...?" Arlen asked nobody in particular, staring at his hands where he'd been holding Elma only moments before.

Alexander looked away, staring at the waterfalls for a few moments. The tragedy that was this game's story... It had been foolhardy for him to have become a part of it. He'd caused so much extra despair to add on to what was already here. This world didn't deserve that...

"We should... probably get going," Alphonse said after a moment. He glanced at Arlen. "...Mr. Glostner?"

Arlen sighed. "...You boys go on ahead. ...I think I'll stay here a while." Alex grunted in approval; he couldn't blame him in the least. If he didn't have a game to finish, he'd stay and have a period of mourning as well.

Edward nodded. "Alright, Gramps... Let's go, Al, Alexander." With that, he started walking toward the passage on the other side of the room. Reluctantly, Alphonse and Alexander followed, leaving Arlen to his own grief.

* * *

At the end of the path was a small room, but there was a familiar transmutation circle on a raised platform in the center. "Another transportation device..." Edward remarked.

"This'll lead us to Crowley, right?" Alphonse asked.

Alexander nodded. "Yep. Now, let's go fulfill Elma's final requests." When the two boys gave him a questioning look, he explained, "Stop Crowley and Dilan, and destroy the Crimson Elixir. Those elements have been a curse on this universe for long enough."

The Elric brothers nodded in agreement, and the trio stepped onto the platform. In a flash of blue light from the circle, the three boys vanished into thin air.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	16. The Spire of Lebis: Descent

Chapter 15  
The Spire of Lebis: Descent

As the trio reappeared on another transportation transmutation circle elsewhere, Alexander saw that Edward was once again doubled over, clutching his all too abused stomach. "Ugh... oh..." the alchemist moaned. "I think I'm gonna hurl!"

Alphonse shook his head at his brother's melodrama. "Geez, Ed. Get used to it already!"

Edward glared up at his younger brother. "I can't help it..." he complained. "I thought I'd do some research on these transmutation circles when we're done, but forget about that!"

Alex shrugged. "Whatever." Looking around, he remarked, "Y'know, this place looks different from what we've seen so far."

The Elric brothers also took a look. They were now within a tall dark cylindrical space, with blocks jutting inward from the walls. Within this large expanse were the platforms they were standing on. These gray stone platforms formed a path, which Alex assumed would lead to the final battle. While the overall scheme still had the Lebisic runes all over it and such, Alex couldn't help but feel that it a resemblance to the Castle That Never Was...

Alex dismissed the feeling. This game had also been made by Square-Enix, after all.

Edward looked thoughtful, his nausea forgotten. "Huh... It's kinda echo-y in here, too. You think we were transported underground or something?"

Alphonse stared incredulously at Edward. "You mean, we were on the top floor of the tower, but now we're under it?"

Alexander nodded in response instead. "Yeah, that's probably it. This is the Underspire. Now we've got to get to where Crowley is. He and Dilan are most likely near the king's chamber, if I remember correctly." Glancing at his comrades, he stated, "Well, guys, let's get going."

Edward led the way as they walked along the platform. Up ahead was a drop down into a square area of the path. When they dropped down, several Golem Adults appeared on the sides of the path and jumped down to face them. For a change of pace, Alex switched to the Heartless Seal design for now, and immediately fired a few Thundaga spells at the enemies. The mud that the Golems were made out of was charged by the electricity, stunning them long enough for Edward to slice them up with his armblade.

They took the adjacent stairs to the next platform, which had a couple of Golem Tankers firing their large lasers at them. Edward found a couple of large stone blocks, and transmuted them into spiky steel balls. With a couple of punches from Alphonse, they were sent crashing into the Tankers. And while they were knocked down by this tactic, Alex advised that they move ahead and head toward the next descent. The stairs upward were straight ahead of that platform, so the Elric brothers took that advice.

The second ascent was a long narrow walkway with a twist. In the distance, they found a pathway with no rails along it. To the side were large snake-like stone statues. And every so often, it seemed that the statues would suck in air, creating a vacuum effect to whatever was on the platform.

"What the..." Edward muttered when he saw this phenomenon. "Is it drafty in here, or is it just me?"

Alphonse gestured toward the statues. "It's those golem statues, Ed. It looks like they suck in and blow out huge gusts of air."

Edward scowled. "Yeah, 'suck' being the operative word. We're gonna have to watch our step, guys, or we're gonna get tossed around..."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Great. A timing puzzle. Well, I guess this is a dungeon of sorts..."

So they waited for the statue to stop sucking, and then quickly dashed across that space before it started sucking in air again. They did this over a couple of platforms, and moved on.

There was another set of platforms with sucking statues, but Alex knew that they only led to what would've been treasure in the game. But this was a reality, and there were no treasure chests lying around. So they dropped down to the platform below and went to the side, where there was a raised path leading to another set of stairs, leading to the third descent.

The next platform went forward a few yards, then reached a _long_ drop down to the floor below. From their high vantage point, Alex could see that they would need to get back up all the way on the other side, using raised platforms guarded by mainly Golem Tankers and Elders. "Great..."

So they dropped down, landing with little injury. They were immediately confronted by a couple of Golem Slimes. Alex used Firaga to take advantage of their weakness to fire, and they were defeated quite easily. They climbed up the ladder to the next platform, which contained Golem Pets. Edward found an urn nearby, and transmuted it into a six-pointed throwing star, which he threw at the Pets. The makeshift shuriken sliced up the Golems relatively easily, so that was one problem solved.

However, the platform just above them was guarded by Golem Elders. And it seemed that their primary function was to rain bombs down on them. Whenever they tried to approach the ladder, the Golems' bombs would throw them back. So they had to plan their way around this one. Alexander approached the ladder to make the Elders fire, then Alphonse gave Edward a boost to the higher platform so that he could attack the Golems before they could reload. Then, while they were distracted, Alex and Alphonse came up to the platform and helped finish the job. Alex discovered in that encounter that Blizzaga was rather effective in freezing the Golems in place. It seemed that only Heartless were resistant to the secondary effects of elemental magic.

Still, their troubles didn't end there. The very next platform had the pair of Golem Tankers on it. Those guys were determined to fire their large lasers if anyone was to peek over the high ledge. However, Alex knew that their lasers would take a time to reload. So Edward jumped up to distract them. The Golems immediately fired their beams, but Edward had already dropped down. Alex jumped up to the side of the lasers' paths, and fired a couple of Thundaga spells at the Golem Tankers. This stunned them long enough for Alphonse to run over to them and tackle them off the ledge. They fell down into the darkness below, and a faint splattering sound came back up. Alex shrugged and led the way to the stairway at the side, which led to the fourth descent.

The initial platform contained a couple of Golem Warriors. Alex grimaced; those were bad news all by themselves. However, he noticed a couple of small golem statues just beside the Warriors. "Hey, Ed," he mumbled, switching his Lockshield to the Crimson Catalyst and gesturing at the statues. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Edward nodded slowly, seeing the statues. "I might be." Alex nodded back.

Alphonse dashed forward, instantly getting the Golems' attention. While the Warriors charged at Alphonse, Alex and Edward ran to the sides of the platform and transmuted the statues into... small tanks, with cannons at the front. Alex grinned as he manned his tank. "It looks like you were!"

Edward grinned back, and turned his tank around to face the Golems, which were chasing Alphonse back toward them. Alex and Edward fired the cannons, shooting small cannonballs at the Warriors. Their shots were dead on; the Warriors recoiled from heavy damage. A couple more shots, and they were gone.

They drove the tanks up to the next platform, which split into two for a while. On the right side side, there were more Warriors and a couple of Slasher Adults. On the other, there were Tankers and Pets. Edward drove his tank over to the left side, and Alex the right. The tanks, Alex found out, were severely overpowered. They took down Adults in only a couple shots, and the Warriors were not much more difficult. Edward didn't have much trouble on his side, either. Alphonse could only watch in a bored manner as Edward and Alex blasted their way through.

The paths met up, and the tanks' ammunitions were empty. Alex and Edward got out of the tanks and faced the great hallway before them. Huge Golem statues lined the hall, and there was a tall doorway at the end that glowed an eerily bright blue.

Edward stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. Alphonse glanced at him. "What's the matter, Ed?" he asked a little worriedly.

"I feel a presence..." Edward slowly replied, searching for the right words to describe the feeling. "In the room ahead of us."

Alexander nodded knowingly. It wasn't anything supernatural; it was a foreboding feeling caused by the hallway's lack of similarity to the descents they had gone through. Obviously, this next room was important.

"A presence?" Alphonse repeated. "Do you think...?"

Alex scowled. "Yeah. Looks like we made it. This is the king's chambers. And Crowley and Dilan have got to be waiting inside."

"So we're here at last..." Edward mumbled, feeling both excitement and tension. "We've seen how strong Crowley can be. We have no idea what Dilan is capable of. But it's all up to us now... We have to stop them now."

Alphonse nodded. "I'm ready."

Alexander also nodded. "I'm ready."

Edward took a fighting stance. "Good. Here we go, guys."

* * *

The trio stepped into a large circular room. On the rim of the main circle were strange rows of stones, with red eye designs on the face of the stone. Along the walls were paths of some bright red pulsing substance, flowing up to the ceiling where a pool of the substance lay in a round glass case, giving the room a supernatural feel. Along the floor was a thin red transmutation circle, and Crowley stood in the very center.

Crowley grunted as the trio came to face him. "So you've come all the way here to see me, young alchemist..." he said slowly, staring at Edward unblinkingly.

Edward glared at him. "Crowley..."

Crowley smiled ever so slightly. "I wanted to see you again... for your eyes are the same as mine. Please, young alchemist, tell me your name..."

"The same eyes?" Alphonse whispered to Alex. "What's he mean?" Alex didn't reply at the moment.

Edward's stare remained as unbroken as Crowley's. "My name's Edward... Edward Elric," he replied slowly, making sure that every syllable was crystal clear.

The dark alchemist nodded. "Edward Elric... I shall not forget that name." He glanced at Alexander. "And I need not ask yours... That foolish girl wouldn't speak a sentence without mentioning it..."

Alex took a glare to match Edward's. "Where's Dilan, Crowley!?" he demanded, annoyed at Crowley's simple dismissal of his sister.

Crowley grunted. "Hmph. The Heartless apprentice... Let's just say we haven't exactly been on friendly terms as of late... He insists that all of these events belong to some kind of child's game." He glared at Alexander. "What I've gone through cannot possibly be the result of mere play. Anyone who says such deserves destruction."

Alex sighed, partly to relieve tension, and partly in annoyance. Crowley hadn't answered his question. Though it did reveal that Crowley did not accept his role within the video game universe. In a way, that simplified things. Especially if the alliance between Golem and Heartless had been severed. No wonder they hadn't encountered any Heartless on the way down...

Edward shook his head. "That's enough for introductions. You're doing all this to bring Elma back to life in human form, aren't you?" As he continued, his voice took a malicious edge. "Well, Elma's not in this world anymore. As a matter of fact, she hasn't been here for a very long time."

Alex could see that Crowley wasn't convinced in the least. "Hmph... Elma wouldn't die," Crowley scoffed. "And even if she had..." He looked up at the blood-red pool above him. "I can revive her again... and again. With the mystical arts of the golem, and with the power of this Elixir..."

Alphonse looked up at the ceiling in awe. "The Elixir..."

"The crimson stone, the Elixir..." Crowley stated. "It feeds on human life and the blood of men to increase its power and luster."

Alex suddenly froze. This sounded so familiar... Where had he heard this before?

Crowley looked back down at Edward. "The Elixir shall soon be complete. I shall see to it that you offer up your soul as well, young alchemist..."

"Human sacrifice...? You make me sick..." Edward growled. "You make me sick, you monster! You take innocent lives, and you justify it all with your own greed!? That's all you can offer!?"

The antagonist looked surprised. "All I can offer...?"

"That's the reason why you made those Golems!?" Edward screamed. "Just for your own _twisted, selfish reasons!?_"

Now Crowley looked confused. "What are you implying? Why do you raise your voice, young alchemist? Surely we've shared the same experience. There is nothing you wouldn't do to bring back your loved one... is there?"'

Alex could see Edward's automail arm twitch a little, as the Fullmetal Alchemist only growled something incoherent in response.

"My Elma is everything to me," Crowley stated loud and clear. "You are the same as I. We have both dared the forbidden for the ones we so dearly love."

"Sh-shut up, dammit!" Edward choked, his voice somewhere between a sob and a scream. "You're wrong... you're so wrong!"

Crowley ignored Edward's mental struggle. "If this is all that I have to endure... Then I shall dedicate everything I have to the Crimson Elixir... My young alchemist... The weight of your automail is but a fraction of the true burden you carry."

"That's enough..." Edward growled. "Just stop it... Shut up... **Shut up!!!** I am not the same as you! The horrible things you do... they could never, ever make **anyone** happy!"

Alexander started to feel the same rage Edward was feeling. He had always been empathetic, and now the unbridled anger was started to get to him. His Anti self was ready to break out.

"Then tell me..." Crowley replied evenly. "Is there another path? And could you take a different path as well, Edward Elric?"

Edward forced himself to calm down slightly. "I... made a promise to Elma. I will stop you, no matter what it takes! I don't know if there's another path. But there's one thing... one thing I know for sure..." He pointed his automail hand at Crowley. "Crowley... **You are on the wrong path!!!**"

At this point, it was clear by Crowley's expression that he knew the debate was over. "...You couldn't stop me if you tried," Crowley muttered. "Just come quietly... and give yourself to the Crimson Elixir!!!" He clapped his hands, and a violet energy passed over his body. When the light passed, his trenchcoat had disappeared. He was serious about this fight.

Alexander was finally losing control. As Crowley charged at them, Alex screamed, "Ed! Al! Stand back, and watch out!!" Without waiting, Alex screamed, "**Darkness!**"

_**Heh, heh... It's **_**my****_ turn now._**

Light shot out from Alexander's body. Darkness quickly wrapped around his body, turning his clothes and his skin and hair to the inky black of a Shadow. His eyes became bright yellow orbs, and a dark aura flowed freely from his body. He twitched insanely, like a battle-ready animal. He had finally given in to the Anti Form.

With a primal roar of rage, Alex charged at Crowley just as he was transmuting a sword out of the ground. He raked his claws against Crowley chest, sending him staggering backward. He then sent a flurry of kicks into his enemy's stomach, knocking him to the other side of the arena.

Crowley quickly recovered, and clapped his hands, ready to use an alchemic technique. Edward saw this, and quickly used alchemy on the ground first. A stone fist rose up out of the ground and knocked Crowley into the air. Alex jumped up and punched Crowley's gut, then kicked him back down to the ground. On the way down, Alexander tried to stab his claw into him, but Crowley rolled out of the way in time, and Alex's claw stabbed into the stone floor. Crowley slashed Alexander with his sword, sending him backward.

The damage was double what it should have been because he was in Anti Form, but the pain increased his rage tenfold. Anti Alex started warping around the arena, getting quick attacks into Crowley from all sides. Then he appeared in midair above Crowley, and blades of darkness shot out from his body and circled him, slashing up the antagonist. Alex landed and slammed his whole weight into Crowley's chest, sending the alchemist flying back. Alex then warped behind Crowley and spun around, kicking the back of Crowley's head. The dark alchemist crashed into the ground, and didn't move from there for a while.

Feeling that victory had been achieved, Anti Alexander glanced toward Edward and Alphonse. Of course, Alex himself wasn't in control, and the Anti Form wasn't distinguishing between friend or foe. After all, there were some hearts over there for a Heartless to take. It would be tricky to get one out of the soul in the armor, but possible. Anti Alex charged at Edward first.

_No!!_ Anti Alex suddenly stopped, and clutched his head. _You're not attacking my friends again!_ Slowly, the darkness faded away from Alex's body, and he reverted back to his normal self. When he felt that he was himself again, he looked up at his shocked friends, then over to Crowley. The fatigue from the heated battle returned to his body, and he fell to his knees.

Crowley glared at the trio, also on one knee. "...Why... why... why must you..." he groaned, but he didn't have strength to say much else. Still, he mustered some strength anyway. "Why are you trying... to stop me? You... you're all... the same... You, and Arlen... same..."

"Just give it up, Crowley," Edward muttered. "I can't forgive you, but I don't want to take your life."

"You...? Take my life...?" Crowley mused. He suddenly laughed. "Heh heh heh, I won't die... I can **never** truly die..." Crowley slowly stood up and clutched his head.

Alex also stood up. "That's enough out of you," he groaned. "Unless you really want us to–"

"Grrrrrr... Rrrrrrrrrrr..." Crowley literally growled. Alexander cut himself off, and the Elrics were suddenly wary. That moan sounded familiar. Crowley continued to growl like that, as if fighting against some instinct within himself. Suddenly, particles of the red substance from the ceiling started to float down into the circle.

"E-Ed..." Alphonse mumbled, suddenly scared. "This doesn't look good..."

Suddenly, Crowley roared and stretched his arms out. Some of the larger particles in the air glowed brighter and gathered around Crowley, being sucked into his chest.

"Woah!" Alphonse exclaimed.  
"What the...?" Edward shouted.

Alexander scowled. This was the complicated part.

A red aura surrounded Crowley for a moment, and what remained shocked them. Crowley's body had become inky black with red runes all over him, much like a Golem. His hair had become impossibly spiky, and red ethereal wings had sprouted from his back. "**Raaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!**" the Golem Crowley roared.

"A G-Golem? How is this possible?" Alphonse demanded. "Crowley... he's become..."

Edward nodded. "Get ready, guys. This time, we're going to beat this stupid bastard... for good."

A chuckle came from the side of the room. "Oh, are you?" a voice asked. Everyone looked, even the Golem Crowley. Alex gasped. The hair, the skin, and the outfit was slightly different, but there was no mistaking it. This was Xaldin's Heartless. This was Dilan.

Dilan walked into the center of the circle, and smirked at the trio. "Impressive, isn't he? He was just a Golem with a soul this whole time. Crowley was never human to begin with." The Heartless apprentice looked up at the ceiling. "While he may not have known it, this Elixir he was preparing was probably the most important thing this world could possibly offer."

The apprentice looked back down at them, staring at Alexander. "Isn't it familiar, Alexander? This whole ordeal? Doesn't it seem the slightest bit similar to your last escapade?"

Alex suddenly saw his point.

Xemnas and Organization XIII had been creating Kingdom Hearts to become whole.  
Crowley was making the Crimson Elixir to bring Elma back to life.

Kingdom Hearts was made out of human hearts.  
The Crimson Elixir was made out of human lives.

Xemnas had absorbed the incomplete Kingdom Hearts in the final battle.  
Crowley had apparently absorbed the incomplete Crimson Elixir for this final battle.

"Dang it!" Alex exclaimed finally. "That makes so much sense!"

Dilan smirked. "Doesn't it? This Crimson Elixir... otherwise known as the Philosopher's Stone... is this world's _equivalent_ of **Kingdom Hearts**!!"

"What!?" Edward screamed. "The Philosopher's Stone!? You mean to tell us that... _that thing_...!"

Dilan smirked a little wider at Edward's reaction. "Correct. The fabled Philosopher's Stone of your world, in it's truest form, is made out of the lives and blood of men. The Crimson Elixir, the crimson stone... There are so many names for it, but they're all the same."

Alphonse was equally shocked. "Crowley was creating the Philosopher's Stone!?"

The apprentice nodded. "Bittersweet, isn't it? If it weren't for Alexander here, I would never have been able to come here, and you would never have known."

Alexander scowled. "So Yen Sid was right... There are more connections between the two universes than met the eye..." Folding his arms, he muttered, "So after introducing the Heartless to this world, deceiving my sister into accepting darkness, and apparently betraying Crowley, what are you going to do now?"

An inky black darkness covered Dilan's hand for a moment. When it dissipated, a lance was in his grip. "Just this," Dilan replied, and quickly stabbed the lance's tip into the very center of the Golem Crowley. The trio gasped. A red light shone from the Golem Crowley, which filled up the entire room for a moment. The bright shine forced the trio to shield their eyes for that moment.

When the light faded, what Alex saw made him gasp again. The Golem Crowley was nowhere to be seen. However, Dilan was hovering a couple of feet off the ground. Floating right behind him was a dark gargoyle-like creature. Alex hadn't seen that creature since the very end of the first Kingdom Hearts game. Since the battle against Xehanort's Heartless. "A Guardian..." he murmured.

Dilan grinned. "That's right. Now that Crowley has absorbed the nearly complete equivalent of Kingdom Hearts, I can create a Guardian Heartless from his body and take that power for myself!"

Alexander found yet another revelation. "So Xehanort's Guardian was the remnants of Riku...!"

Dilan twirled his lance, and pointed it at Alexander. "This shall be the **true** final battle, Alexander Karsath! Winner takes all!"

Alex looked back at his comrades. "He's right, guys. Whoever wins this decides the fate of this world." He paused. "Are you with me?"

Alphonse nodded quickly. "All the way, Alex!"

Edward glared up at Dilan. "Dilan's from the Kingdom Hearts universe, right? So I guess that means you've got point."

Alex smirked, then looked back at the third of Ansem's apprentices. "Alright, Dilan, let's get this started!"

Dilan shook a finger at him. "Not so fast. There's a few things you need to be aware of." He smiled. "After using the Anti Form against Crowley, you can't have much energy left. A simple Cure spell will drain your magic power, which you know you'll need against me. Your only choice would be to achieve a Drive Form. However, with the darkness in your heart, you cannot reach any other Drive other than Anti Form. And you know better than to fight darkness against darkness, Alexander."

Alexander scowled. Dilan was correct on all accounts. But there had to be some way of beating Dilan! Unfortunately, his only chance would be to get Final Form. But he needed his counterpart to do that...

_Wait a minute..._ Alex thought. _Doesn't my Anti self count as a counterpart?_ His Anti self laughed at his thoughts. _**Ha! Go ahead, open your light to me. I'll rip open your heart in two seconds.**_

Alexander looked afraid. If he tried to Drive once more, the darkness within his heart just might turn him into a Heartless. Was there really no hope for him now...?

_"That last bit of light is always the hardest to snuff out."_ Alex's eyes widened in shock. Those had been Sephiroth's words! _"Something you should keep in mind, Interference."_ Alex thought over this carefully. Was it worth the risk?

He glanced at Edward and Alphonse. Well, they had said themselves that they were with him. They were probably worth it.

Edward looked back. "Well, Alex? Is he right about that?"

Alexander turned back toward Dilan, staring at him and his Guardian. It was a long shot, but... "We'll see!" He spread his arms out and shouted, "**Light!**" Light shot out from his body...

* * *

In Alexander's Station of Awakening, his Anti self stood in front of a large gate. Anti Alex knew that this was the door to what remained of Alex's light. If Alex tried to Drive, then this gate would be opened, revealing the last bit of light to his darkness.

Slowly, the gate began to creak open. Anti grinned and readied himself. "Smart move, idiot," he remarked. Alex was using a Drive. The gate opened fully, and Anti Alex could see nothing but darkness inside. He stepped forward and wandered into the darkness for a while. After a while, he saw a small light in the distance. Anti Alexander grinned and dashed forward on all fours toward the light. It was a small wispy aura, almost like a dying flame.

Anti Alex stopped, hesitated for a moment, then immediately swiped at it. His claw clamped over the light, and he squeezed, trying to quench the flame. A sizzling sound was heard, and Anti Alex winced. This light was pretty darn strong, and his darkness was reacting violently to it. Still, he squeezed as hard as he could.

Suddenly, some cracks of light poked between his fingers, and his grip started to weaken. Anti Alex's jaw dropped. "This isn't possible! It just... _can't_ be possible!!!"

But it was. Alexander's light was expanding. Soon, it was about as tall as Anti Alex himself, and its growth increased. "**NO!!!**" Anti Alex screamed, trying to run away. But the light passed over him, and he faded out of existence.

Back at the door, the light expanded and mingled with the darkness within, until the inside had become a light gray. Out of the strange aura, a figure stepped out of it. It was a boy who looked almost exactly like Alexander, but his eyes were a startling green, and he wore strange dark green armor.

"Well," Joumae remarked, "it's about time I got back to business." The gate slowly closed in front of him.

* * *

Edward and Alphonse disappeared in the flash of light. Alex felt an incredible sensation wash over his body. It was like his wounds were being healed, and his mind was clearing all at once. The darkness... felt farther away now.

Almost fearing to check, he looked down... and smiled. His clothes were a brilliant white. He was suspended a couple of feet off the ground by a bright aura, and two Lockshields floated behind his back. One was the Heartless Seal, and the other was the Crimson Catalyst. He was in Final Form... and it felt so good to be back.

Alex now saw that there was more to strength than just revenge. While he wanted Dilan destroyed for what he'd done to Erica, he also knew that revenge wouldn't make him happy. However, there was an alternate motivation that the light had shown him: _justice_. Dilan needed to pay for what he'd done to this world, and that end would help everyone.

Dilan himself was truly shocked. "What the...! How are you...! It's not possible! You can't be in Final Form, you'd have to..."

"...Get my light back, right?" Alex finished with a grin. "Let me tell you something, Dilan. That last bit of light of mine was the toughest to snuff out. My darkness found that out the hard way."

Without another word, Alexander zoomed toward Dilan with both Lockshields at the ready. He slammed his shoulder into the apprentice, knocking both Dilan and his Guardian back.

Dilan shouted, "Go Guardian!" The gargoyle creature faded from view for a moment, then appeared right under Alexander. Alex quickly flipped backward as the Guardian rose, barely avoiding the attack. Alex slashed at the Guardian with both of his weapons. It didn't do any damage, but it knocked the creature back toward its master.

Alex then charged forward again. He slammed his Lockshields into the two Heartless, slamming them against the wall and pinning them there with his weapons. Dilan tried to stab his lance in Alex's direction, but Alexander merely grabbed it and tossed it aside.

Alexander then clapped his hands and placed one on Dilan, and one on the Guardian. White sparks traveled along his arms and into the two Heartless. The light faded from Alex's body, and he dropped to the ground. Edward and Alphonse appearing alongside him.

Dilan and the Guardian dropped to the ground in a heap. But their bodies had taken on a strange internal glow. Dilan clutched at his chest, breathing heavily. "You... You've... destroyed me..."

Alex nodded. "That's right. I've transferred the excess light from my Final Form into the bodies of you and your Guardian, converting all of the darkness within into light. Your bodies should destroy themselves from the inside in a matter of moments."

Dilan groaned, and a crack appeared along his side, shining with light. His body was indeed destroying himself. He looked up to Alexander and grinned. "Very good, Alexander. I never should have expected less from you. I admit defeat."

He paused to give Alex a false hope, then quickly said, "But! This won't be the last you've heard of us. There will be other times, Alexander. Other worlds..." He groaned again as a couple more cracks appeared along his body, and along the Guardian's as well. "The rest of us... Braig, Elaeus, Even, and Ienzo... We're waiting and watching, Alexander, for you to make your next Interference..."

Alex pointed the Crimson Catalyst's blade at Dilan. "I don't care how many video game universes I have to muck around in," he replied coldly. "I'll beat you all at your own trick."

Dilan sighed. "Such confidence. I guess I should expect such from the Interference. I wish I could look forward to seeing how you'll fare against my comrades... But I'm afraid I have nothing more to look toward..."

"Augh!" Dilan shouted. Many cracks appeared in his body now, even along his face. He started to scream as the light burst out of his body. In an explosion of light, the Heartless apprentice Dilan passed away from existence.

The Guardian floated into the middle of the circular room, also cracking away in pieces. The Heartless eventually exploded in the same manner, but it left the Golem Crowley in its wake. "**Grraaaaaahhhhh!!**" it screamed, falling to its knees on the ground. All of the red substance he had absorbed flew out of his chest, returning to the pool above them. When it was done, it fell down on its face in a heap, splashing as the mud began to melt away. "El... El...ma... El...ma..." it croaked as it dissolved into a large pool of mud.

"He... he's melting away..." Alphonse mumbled, surprised by all that had happened in such a short time.

Edward sighed in relief. "It's over... We did it, Gramps, Elma... and Erica."

They suddenly heard footsteps behind them. "Hm?" Alex muttered, turning around with the others to face the source of the noise.

Alphonse looked excited now. "Hey! Look!" It was Sora, Riku, Kairi, Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Hawkeye, and Major Armstrong.

They heard another sound behind them as the rest of the party approached. The trio looked back at the pile of mud. It was... moving. Seeing this, Mustang quickly pulled out one of his gloves and snapped his fingers, causing an explosion right behind Edward.

"Geez!" Edward exclaimed, clamping his hands over his ears. "Would you warn me before you do that!?"

Alex stared at the mud. "Edward, now's not the time!" The pile of mud was sparking with alchemic reactions, and it was starting to take shape and get taller. The creature, whatever it was, seemed easily malleable under the constant alchemy. Somewhere, a head appeared in the mass of material, and it opened its mouth. Several blasts of mud shot out of the mouth at high velocities toward the fighters, who were forced to scatter.

Riku shot with his Dark Aura at the creature, stopping that attack. Sora started casting Thundaga, and Kairi fended off some of the muddy limbs of the thing. Still, no matter what they did, it kept on regenerating and growing.

Mustang growled. "Care to explain, Fullmetal?" he snapped.

"It's Crowley, Colonel!" Edward deduced. "He keeps coming back! Dammit... I thought we had him!"

"It's because of the Stone!" Alphonse exclaimed. "We have to find the Stone, remember?"

Edward suddenly remembered. Staring up at the constantly changing Golem Crowley, he mumbled, "Yeah, but... how...?"

"It's gotta be close; let's track it down and destroy it!" Alphonse ordered.

Sora looked back at them. "If you've got ideas, then, by all means, **go**!! We're not gonna last long!"

Alexander looked at everyone fighting. Hawkeye was constantly shooting at the creature, and Armstrong punched it and created stone spikes to slow it down. Mustang continued to create explosions. But even under all this pressure, the Golem Crowley was still not going to be defeated.

Edward scowled. "I'm sorry to say, Colonel, but you're gonna hafta buy us a little more time here!"

Mustang blew up another section of the beast, and grinned back at Edward. "Then that'll make it three you owe me."

The Fullmetal Alchemist chuckled at the Colonel's feigned insensitivity, but then became serious and started dashing toward the only other door in the room. "Let's go, guys!" he shouted.

"Coming!" Alphonse replied, quickly following Edward.

"Right behind ya!" Alexander added, dashing as fast as he could around the creature. The trio dashed toward the crimson hallway ahead, leaving their comrades fighting for time behind them.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I only own Alexander, Joumae, Erica, and the Lockshield. Every other element of this story belongs to their respective owners. Namely Square-Enix.**


	17. Fragments of Sorrow

Epilogue  
Fragments of Sorrow

Alphonse, Edward, and Alexander ran down the dark hallway. Beneath them was a glowing blue grid, and on the sides were curved long blocks with the same eye design on the tops.

"Good to have you back, Joumae!" Alexander said aloud, not caring that he wasn't alone. "You saved our butts back there!"

_**Since when are you ever any good without me?**_ Joumae responded with a mental grin.

As they ran, Alphonse asked suddenly, "You think they'll be okay? We shouldn't worry, should we...?"

"Naw, those six are as tough as nails," Edward shouted back. "They've dealt with worse, I think. As for us, we've gotta get a move on!"

Alphonse nodded. "Y-yeah..." he mumbled, not completely reassured.

Alexander didn't say much of anything. He had too much on his mind. The trio kept running until they saw a faint red light at the end of the tunnel. They ran into the next room, which was the final descent. It was a round circular room in front of the king's throne. In the center of a small spire in the middle was the huge red gleaming Crimson Elixir itself. Blood slowly dripped from the tiny hole in the glass ceiling above it, and fell onto the Elixir, making it shine a little bit brighter each time.

Alphonse looked around. Even through the armor, he seemed frightened. "Ed! Just look at this room!"

Edward grimaced. "Damn... It looks like it's coated in blood. This is making me sick to my stomach..."

Alexander looked up at the large crimson stone. "We don't have much time. Let's destroy this thing as quickly as possible... and end this nightmare."

Edward nodded. "As soon as we destroy this thing, Crowley's finally going to–"

His little brother cut him off. "Woah!" Alphonse exclaimed, pointing at the throne in the back of the room. "Look at that, Ed!" There was a rotting skeleton wearing tattered clothes on the throne.

"What the...!?" Edward mumbled, clearly confused and disgusted at the same time.

"A mummy..." Alexander reasoned. "Perhaps it's the king of Siam-Sid? Or maybe it could be..." He trailed off. That possibility sounded a little far-fetched even to him.

Edward shrugged. "Could be. But right now, we've gotta destroy this stone. Let's move it down to the ground first. Alex, give me a hand."

Edward climbed up the the level the spire was on, with Alex beside him. They stood right in front of the stone. Alphonse panicked. "Whoa, whoa! Don't touch it!" he warned them. "We've gotta be careful with that thing!"

Alexander looked back at the suit of armor. "The others can't hold off that monster for much longer. We can't just stand around and..." At that moment, Edward and Alexander touched the stone.

Alex's vision was filled with bright light for a moment. Edward also seemed surprised. "Huh!?"

"Alex? Ed?" Alphonse asked. "Brother? Ed! ...Edward!!"

* * *

Alexander and Edward stood in the middle of a pure white space. It seemed to be an infinite featureless plane of light. The only things that were in sight seemed to be each other. A white mist also seemed to be rolling through.

"Hm?" Edward mumbled, his voice echoing through the space. Seeing Alex, he asked, "...Where... are we? What... what is this place...?"

Alex looked around a little. He couldn't really answer just yet. It felt something like being at the Station of Awakening, but this was much different. Suddenly, he noticed a small red orb of light shining to the side. "That light..."

Edward and Alexander approached the small orb hovering a few feet off the ground. As they neared it, the light started to pulse, and it sounded somewhat like a heartbeat. "What is this thing...?" Edward asked.

Alexander thought he could see something within the orb, but the image was too faint to tell. He reached out and tried to touch it, just as Edward did. As they made contact, their visions were filled with complete light once again. Edward gasped.

_The king of Lebis knelt beside the open casket in which his late love was laid. "You..." he muttered, "and I had shared all our joys and sorrows... from the day we exchanged our vows..." He began to sob. "How... how could you have left me...? Am I to... just... let you go?" He slammed his fist on the ground, his eyes blazing with determination. "No! ...I cannot accept this!" The king stood up and placed his hands together. "Rise again, my queen..." he screamed. "With eternal life you shall live!"_

_  
There was a flash of light. The image changed to the city outside, where a giant Golem was appearing out of the palace, and the other Golems were going on a rampage. "What!?" one of the citizens exclaimed. A giant... golem...!? But how..." One of the lesser Golems approached him. "Agh... **aaaagh!!!**"_

_"Why do the golems attack?" a woman cried out. "O king of Lebis, we beg of you! Please calm the wrath of the golems!"_

_An old man began to run. "Flee! Everyone!" he warned his fellows. "Our country is coming to an end... Run... as far away as you can!"_

_  
The image faded back to the king of Lebis, who was on his knees in front of the giant Golem towering over him. "This... has to be a nightmare – What have I done?" He looked up at the Golem pathetically. "Are you going... to kill me?" he asked. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "Yes, I see... Forgive me... I... love you... so much..." There was a bone-crushing sound, and the image faded to black._

Edward and Alexander appeared back in the featureless plane. Edward seemed to understand. "So that was... a memory from the king of Lebis?" he muttered slowly.

Alex nodded. It seemed that this was a plane where the memories of the lives that had become part of the Crimson Elixir appeared. He now had an idea of what was going on.

He turned around, and saw another red light. "Edward..." The alchemist nodded. They approached the orb, and hesitated in front of it. Nodding at each other, they touched it once more. Before Alex's vision was blinded, he felt the object he was touching. It felt like a... chain link.

_Crowley placed his hands on the transmutation circle in his room. A pile of mud was in the center of the room. As the transmutation circle activated, the mud started to move a little. "Oh... Elma... My dear Elma..." Crowley sobbed. He groaned; the technique seemed to be taking a lot of energy from him. "I will never give up..." he gasped through his pain. "Live again... You shall... By my hands, you shall live again!!!"_

_  
The image changed to a desert scene, where two cloaked figures walked through a light sandstorm. "Your dead lover back to life, huh?" one of the two asked. "I can feel your pain. I should be glad to help you in any way I can."_

_"I thank you, Arlen," the other figure, Crowley, replied. "I must take a chance with the mystical arts of the golems..."_

_"So, what was your lover's name?" the younger Arlen asked hesitantly._

_"Elma..." Crowley mumbled slowly._

_  
The image changed back to the transmutation circle. In the center now was Elma's limp form. "...mm...ah..." Elma mumbled as she began to stir._

_"Elma!" Crowley cried, deactivating the circle and crawling over to her._

_Elma looked up at him, confused. "Jack...? What...? But... Aren't I... wasn't I... dead...?"_

_Arlen cheered behind them. "You did it, Crowley! I'm so happy for you..."_

The two boys regained sight again. "Another memory..." Alexander mumbled, "from Crowley... From when this all began..." He glanced down at his hand. "A link in a chain... A chain of memories..."

In the distance to their right was yet another red orb, containing a chain link. Edward and Alexander ran over to it and touched it at the same time. Their eyes were filled with bright light as another memory came to their minds.

_Crowley fell to his knees as Elma dissolved back into mud from whence she'd come. "No... Elma... It can't be..." he sobbed. His eyes shone with familiar determination. "I must try once again... The next Elma shall be perfect!"_

_"You must stop, Crowley!" Arlen shouted at his friend. "No matter how many times you revive her, she'll always turn back to mud! We never had a chance from the start, bringing someone back from the dead! We're not gods, don't you see!?"_

_"Silence, Arlen!" Crowley snapped, glaring at Arlen. "You'll keep your mouth shut and do as I tell you!!!"_

_Arlen was shocked. "...Crowley..."_

_Crowley turned toward a bookshelf. "So I'll need that, in accordance with..." He suddenly coughed hard. His body wasn't keeping up with his efforts._

_  
The image changed once again. It was Crowley, holding up a red gleaming stone, about the size of a large egg. "I shall have no regrets," Crowley declared. "Elma's life is worth far more than anyone else's... Call me a devil if you will... With the power of the crimson light... of this Elixir... I shall create my Elma... A perfect Elma without flaw!"_

_"Ugh!!!" he cried out, coughing and gasping again, and clutched at his chest. After all he'd done, his body was just about ready to quit._

_Outside of the room, Arlen shook his head with shame. "Crowley. You've gone too far. I can't continue with this, my friend... Forgive me, Elma."_

_  
Elma faced Crowley once again. She was beginning to transform into the Phantom. "Please... Jack... Don't do this anymore..." she pleaded with him. "There's no reason for you to suffer..." Her body convulsed. "It hurts... I'm going away... But... leave me to die... Or I might hurt someone... again..."_

_The vision faded to the point where Elma had become the Phantom. "...The E-li-x-ir..." it hissed. "Aaagh... Ugggh... **Graaaaaahhh!!!**"_

_The vision returned to Elma. "I'm... falling apart... I don't know... when... I might... attack **you**... It hurts... It hurts... It hurts!!!" she screamed._

_  
Once more, it returned to Crowley, standing in the Hall of Displacement in front of a pile of mud in a transmutation circle. He gasped for breath. His body was about to give out. "I... will... not... die..." he groaned, clapping his hands together. The transmutation circle started to glow, and the mud began to move. "I... have sworn... eternal love... to Elma... My soul... shall take this golem..."_

_As the mud began to take the form of a Golem, Crowley screamed and suddenly collapsed to the ground. The new Golem Crowley opened its eyes. "I shall restore... everything... **The Elixir!**"_

_  
In the king's chambers, Erica stood with her back to Dilan, her face a deep scowl. "Look, I don't know who you are," she growled, "but if you're working with Crowley, then you're obviously a bad guy!"_

_Dilan sighed and shook his head. "Is that what you believe? My, my, your bias has certainly blinded you, hasn't it?"_

_Erica couldn't help but look back. "What do you mean?" she asked tentatively._

_Dilan turned away from her and smirked to himself. "I mean that you don't truly understand the forces at work here. The forces your elder brother has brought to this world."_

_Erica suddenly became angry. "There you go again!! All of you are so obsessed with my brother! This is my Interference, for goodness' sake! Why does this world focus on him rather than me!?"_

_Dilan looked back at her over his shoulder. "Because he has power. Power is something you lack."_

_Erica looked surprised. "Power?"_

_Dilan nodded. "The power of darkness. Flawed, to be true, but still a great power nonetheless. I also hold that power. The only way you can possibly surpass your brother is to gain the power of darkness from me." He began to walk away. "Think about it, and come to me once you're ready."_

_  
After a few hours, Erica approached Dilan in the final descent. "Dark powers, huh?" she muttered. "Alex seems to have it, so it can't be all that bad."_

_Dilan smirked. "I thought you'd see things my way." He summoned his lance from an inky black darkness, and held it out to Erica. The girl looked confused by the gesture. "Take it," he ordered. "The only way to obtain the power of darkness is to allow the darkness to enter your heart."_

_Erica hesitantly took the lance, and stared at the blade. "Is this what I want?" she quietly asked herself. "Is this worth it?" A moment went by in silence, then Erica nodded vigorously. "Darn straight." She pointed the lance's blade at her chest, and stabbed it in. The blade slid into her body with ease, and a dark aura appeared over the wound._

_Dilan grinned as Erica floated up into the air, and her heart left her body. Her body disappeared into the air, and her heart was surrounded in darkness. The darkness spread over where she'd previously stood, and Erica's Heartless stepped out of it. The new Erica looked at her hands with amazement. "This power...!" She grinned. "And it's all mine!"_

_Dilan chuckled and looked away. "No, Erica..." he muttered under his breath. "It's all _mine_!"_

Edward just stood still, shocked by what he'd seen. "By God, Crowley... What have you done?" he murmured, knowing he'd receive no answer. He looked around, and saw that Alexander wasn't moving. "Huh... Alex?"

Alex was quite visibly shocked by what he'd seen. "So she'd done it to herself... Just like they said she did." He sighed and hung his head. "Perhaps it's an exaggeration of sibling rivalry..."

Edward saw another red orb in front of them. "Is there... more?" Edward and Alex walked over to it, getting a foreboding feeling. So far, these memories had given them nothing but pain and sorrow. What would this one bring?

After a moment's hesitation, the two boys touched the link in the chain of memories. As the light enveloped them, Edward mumbled, "...Wha?"

_Once again, the city of Siam-Sid, with the citizens screaming as they were beaten down by the rampage of the Golems._

_Then the king of Lebis sobbing, "I... love you... so much..."_

_Crowley declaring, "By my hands, you shall live again!!!"_

_Then Elma, the Phantom, and the small crimson stone as Crowley remarked, "I shall have no regrets. Elma's life is worth far more than anyone else's..."_

_Then, out of nowhere, there was the Elric brothers as children, when Alphonse's body was fading away as well as Edward's left leg. "I want to get Ed's body back too..." Alphonse stated. It changed to Scar tearing away Alphonse's armor. "...but even that is a risk that could cost us our lives." Then Scar destroying Edward's automail arm. "No! Please, don't do it! **No!!!**"_

_As they saw the Elrics in the aftermath of Scar's battle, Crowley's voice returned. "My young alchemist... The weight of your automail is but a fraction of the true burden you carry." Slowly, the image faded to the sight of the Golem Crowley. "You are the same as I... Edward Elric."_

They saw the image of Lieutenant Hawkeye in the bright infinite plane. _"The resolve to protect someone is far greater than the force that tries to take away. That's what I believe."_

Major Armstrong. _"You must survive for the two members of your family that await you."_

Winry. _"Ed... Al..."_

Colonel Mustang. _"Believe in the path you have chosen. Let's go, Fullmetal Alchemist."_

Hayner. _"You're not going to make it back by thinking like that. Promise you'll come back."_

Sora. _"Of course! None of us will mind another adventure, right?"_

Alphonse. _"I hear ya. I've got your back, so let's get home together, okay? Let's make it out of here alive! _Ed? Brother? Ed! ...Edward!!"

"Al..." Edward croaked as the light enveloped them both.

* * *

"Alex! Edward!!!" Alphonse continued to shout.

At long last, Edward finally responded, "Uhhh... huh? Al? What... what? I..." He seemed groggy, like he'd just woken up from a dream. Alexander looked just as dazed. They quickly drew back their hands from the stone and looked back at Alphonse.

"You two scared me!" Alphonse berated them. "I kept calling your names, but you two were totally out of it..." He sounded genuinely worried.

Edward stepped down and looked back at the stone. "So that' it... We must've gone unconscious the instant we touched the stone... and on our feet, no less."

Alexander looked at the stone, and saw that it was suddenly surrounded by a twilight aura. His jaw dropped. "What!?" he murmured. "The gate and the Dark Corridor... but Sora isn't here...!"

Out of nowhere, the Lockshield appeared in his hand, out of its own accord. **_You've got no choice. Do both at the same time yourself!_**

Alex sighed and held his shield out in front of himself. Everyone else disappeared. A light flashed from the Lockshield, and the shining image of the Heartless emblem appeared beneath his feet. The strange wind began to blow against him while his surroundings were enveloped by light. When the light faded, he found himself in the familiar starry expanse.

The Crimson Elixir shot out a dark beam and a light beam up into the air. The dark beam formed the Dark Corridor Alex looked into it, and saw the mass of Shadows inching toward the opening. Alexander twirled the Lockshield around and then finally pointed it at the keyhole. A halo surrounded his weapon for a moment, then it closed in and shot out a beam at the Dark Corridor. When it collided, a dark green wall formed itself and covered up the opening. Alex turned around and faced the gate that the light beam had created. He twirled his Lockshield around and did the same thing to the gate. When the beam pierced through the gate, a bright light filled up the gate and spilled out into the expanse he was in.

When the light faded, he was back in the room with the Elrics, who looked confused by the mere flash of light they'd seen. Suddenly, the old man Arlen ran into the room. "Hey, kid! You still alive!?" he shouted at Edward.

Alphonse looked surprised. "M-Mister Glostner!?"

The room suddenly shook violently as a large explosion rocked the tower. "Ahh!" Alexander exclaimed, being brought back to reality by that shake. "What was that!?"

Arlen was just about to lose it. "That monster's pissed! Your buddies managed to hold it off so far, but they won't last long! Hurry, kid!" He pointed at the stone. "That stone there's the damned Elixir, ain't it? So what're you waiting for? Smash the friggin' thing!"

Alphonse looked at Edward. "Wait! Dilan said that thing was also an incomplete Philosopher's Stone, right? Can't we use it to–"

"We want to, but we don't know how!" Edward replied, ignoring his brother. "Isn't there some special way of destroying it!?" he demanded of Arlen.

Arlen groaned and stepped toward the platform. "Aw, dammit, kid, I wish you'd ask me this crap sooner! Lemmee see here... Aha! It's written right here!" He pointed at some runes along the side of the platform. He squatted in front of the etchings and quickly began to translate.

After a few moments, Alexander asked, "...Well? What does it say?" He didn't quite remember these events as well as Erica had, so he needed whatever information he could get.

Arlen shook his head. "Hold on, I'm reading here."

Alex sighed and looked up. He immediately saw Edward standing in front of the throne. "Huh? Edward?" he asked tentatively.

Edward grimaced. "Crowley..." he muttered to himself. "What you did was unforgivable... You won't get any sympathy from me. You chose this path yourself..." He sighed. "But, dammit... Wasn't there any other way this could have been done...?"

Alphonse looked surprised. "Ed..."

Arlen nodded knowingly. "So... Now I see who that mummy was." He paused for a moment, then said, "Okay. I figured out how we're gonna trash that stone, kid."

Edward ran back over to them, and listened intently. Arlen gestured at some conic structures around the base of the pedestal. "See the cones placed around the base? Those things are there to create breaks in the transmutation circle."

Alphonse got the idea. "So if we removed the breaks, the transmutation circle would be complete!"

Arlen nodded. "That's about the gist of it. And a complete transmutation circle will let you boys do the dirty work."

Alexander took one last look at the stone, and nodded. "Okay, we got it." Edward and Alex walked toward a couple of the cones, ready to use alchemy.

Arlen shrugged. "This is your area of expertise, boys. I'm counting on you." Edward and Alexander clapped their hands and placed them on the cones. The conic structures disappeared back into the ground, completing that section of the transmutation circle beneath them. Then they went toward the other two and removed those cones. The ring around the base glowed brightly for a moment as the circle became complete.

"The transmutation circle's up..." Edward stated.

The old man nodded slowly. "Yeah... This will put an end... to everything."

Alexander sighed. It wouldn't put an end to absolutely everything... but it would solve the problems of this world, at least. He, Alphonse, and Edward approached the platform around the pedestal, and gave each other a quick nod. Edward muttered, "Let's do it."

The three of them placed their hands on the platform. The Ring of Lebis on Edward's hand began to shine, as well as the runes around the pedestal. The Crimson Elixir glowed even brighter, and a huge gust of wind began to whirl around it, buffeting all of those in the room.

The Crimson Elixir slowly rose up out of the pedestal, and began to crack. After a few tense moments, the Elixir quickly cracked and exploded, showering the area with red pebbles and removing the red shine from the room. The chamber was left in a faint blue darkness.

The four of them watched as the pieces of the Crimson Elixir slowly floated down from the ceiling. "It shattered..." Edward sighed. "It's over." He held out his hand and watched as one of the small fragments landed in his hand and faded out of existence.

* * *

"_Blizzaga_!" Sora yelled, firing a cluster of ice bolts from his Keyblade at the monster. The spell landed on the creatures new face, stunning it for half of a second before it shook the ice off.

Hawkeye jumped back from another vine's lash and continued to fire. This was her last clip.

Mustang snapped his fingers, causing yet another explosion. "C'mon, hurry up!" he growled. "A few more minutes of this and we're history!"

Suddenly, a moaning sound was heard from the monster, and it began to convulse for a few moments. Then, after some tense seconds of waiting, it started to melt away into the ground. It was returning to the mud from whence it had come. Mustang lowered his hands, confused. "Huh... What is this?"

Riku wiped some sweat off of his brow. "It seems that Alexander and Edward have interfered here."

Mustang smirked. "I'd say so. Way to go, Fullmetal!"

* * *

Out in the city, the Golems fighting the soldiers in the streets began to melt away. The soldiers were confused as the battle seemed to come to an abrupt stop.

They were even more confused as the buildings around them morphed back into the ruins they had originally been. It seemed that the Elixir's power was the thing that had given Siam-Sid its fresh appearance.

* * *

"You left that circle on the platform," Arlen muttered under his breath, staring at the mummy on the throne. "The last shred of decency you had as a human being... Crowley..."

Edward took the Ring of Lebis off of his finger and looked at it. Suddenly, the room began to shake uncontrollably. "What's this?!" Alphonse demanded. "An earthquake!?"

"It's bad, that's what it is!" Edward retorted. "We've gotta get out, fast!" As the Elrics and Alexander started to run out of the room, Edward dropped the Ring of Lebis.

However, as they passed Arlen, the old man didn't move. Alphonse stopped and looked back at him incredulously. "Mr. Glostner, what are you doing!? We have to run!"

Arlen put a hand on his hat. "Just go, boys. I think I'll stay here a while."

Alexander did a take. "What are you, insane!? If you stay here, you'll get crushed along with the rest of these ruins!"

Arlen sighed. "That's fine by me. You boys are still young, so you won't understand, but I'm going to share my fate with Crowley and Elma. My last mission in life has been finished. I've got no reason to live any longer." He paused for a moment. "Crowley, Elma, and me... We were always together... through everything. I think it's only fitting I take my rest with them, too."

Edward growled. "'Last mission'... 'Always together'...!? My ass! None of that crap gives you a reason to die here!"

"It doesn't matter!" Arlen protested. "I've made up my mind." He looked back at Edward. "Thanks, Mr. Fullmetal Alchemist, for getting me here."

Alexander grimaced. "Alright, that's it. I'm done with the mushy stuff here, and I want to sleep well tonight. I'm not gonna have you on my conscience! Hey, Al..."

"Way ahead of ya!" Alphonse replied, walking over to Arlen.

Arlen became immensely surprised as Alphonse forcibly picked him up. "H-Hey! What are you doing!?" he demanded as Alphonse slung him over his shoulder.

"You better stop squirming..." Alphonse warned him, "or else I'll make you ride inside!" He started running after Edward and Alexander, and they left the room.

"Put me down!" Arlen shouted. "I want to stay! I have to...!" He suddenly stopped and gasped. For a moment, he saw Elma kneeling in front of the throne, and putting the Ring of Lebis on. She closed her eyes, and her image faded away.

Arlen looked shocked for a moment, then smiled and started to cry as the room faded from view.

* * *

The entire party stood on a hill overlooking the desert ruin. It had been a marvel before, but now, after every diabolical act that had taken place in it, it was just a sad, sad sight. "And so it ends," Mustang remarked. "A familiar story in these parts. One man's obsession to bring back from the dead the one he loves the most."

"A tragic end, indeed," Armstrong agreed.

Alphonse looked at his older brother. "Ed... What are you thinking right now?"

Edward didn't break his gaze away from the ruins. "Probably the same thing you're thinking, Al..."

Sora approached Alexander. "So... Alex... is this game over?" Riku and Kairi joined him.

Alex looked back at his old friends, and nodded slowly. "Yeah... this game's over. But... I think that our adventures are far... very far from over."

* * *

_In a dark room far away from Siam-Sid..._

"So that's why..." a young male voice mused. "I was wondering why the Flame Alchemist would call for so many troops..." It was Envy, the homunculus. "That Fullmetal kid's got a real pair of rocks. Hard to believe that squirt managed to take out that big guy."

"Remember, that boy had quite a bit of help," a woman replied. It was the homunculus called Lust. "But even if it weren't for the apprentice's actions, that kid would have won anyway according to the game's script. Still, we were able to get enough of the stones. Losing this place won't have an impact on our plans. It may have been big, but imperfect nonetheless. Completely useless for our purposes." She paused. "Besides... that poor romantic was starting to disobey us and act on his own. Good riddance, I say."

Envy sighed. "Yeah, I guess it's a boon fer us. It woulda been a pain in the ass if **we** were the ones who had to get rid of 'im."

Lust nodded. "There's no use for a marionette without its strings. Jack Crowley... how pathetic you were."

"Pathetic! Pathetic!" the fat homunculus beside her, Gluttony, repeated incessantly.

"Still, Dilan..." Lust remarked. "He seemed to be a little more useful. He just underestimated the power of the Interferences. And overestimated it, in one sense." She glanced at a figure laid against the wall in the back of the room. "That girl's Nobody will become useful at one point, given enough time. We'll keep her here until she's strong enough."

She smiled. "As for you, our little Fullmetal boy... We're gonna let you live just a little bit longer. You'll find out about our plans in due time. The hard way..."

* * *

_The next day, at the East City train station..._

Edward shoved his way past a crowd of people, heading for the train while carrying his suitcase over his head. He finally squeezed past all the people and stood in front of the train car's door. Sora, Riku, Kairi, Alex, Alphonse, and Armstrong were there waiting for him. Edward sighed. "Well, we made it... I guess we're finally on our way to Central now..."

Alphonse nodded. "Right, the library!" They had been originally intending to get to the Central City library upon their return from Lior. "I nearly forgot!" Alphonse admitted. "That was quite the detour."

Armstrong smiled. "Well, it would be very disingenuous of me not to say 'well done,' Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric."

Edward sighed, obviously tired by the whole ordeal. "Yeah, well that's the great thing about working hard. You make everybody's lives easier and still nobody shows up to wave you goodbye."

"Hey, we're here!" Kairi encouraged him.

Armstrong shook his head. "Come now, you know everyone at East Headquarters is busy." He paused for a moment, then said. "By the way, I thought you'd be interested to know... that Mr. Glostner character you spent time with returned to Siam-Sid." Nodding at the others' surprised reactions, he added, "Apparently, he is adamant that he is going to spend the rest of his life there. Even though civilians aren't allowed on the premises since there's so much the state wants to look into."

Edward sighed again. Alphonse glanced at him. "Are you thinking about Crowley again?" When Edward didn't answer, he admitted, "I was. I mean, maybe we're no different than he was. If we'd taken one wrong step, all of this could've happened to us..."

"We won't do that," Edward declared suddenly, cutting Alphonse off. "I'm telling you right now, that's one wrong step we're never gonna take. We'd never sacrifice life, just for our own selfish gain; just to get an arm or a body we want. Sacrificing somebody's entire life only because you want to be happy? That could never be called equivalent exchange. So we'll just have to keep looking... for the real answer out there."

Edward looked around at his friends. He did a take when he saw Riku with a smile on his face. Not a smirk, an honest-to-goodness _smile_. "Huh... uh... what is it, Riku?"

Riku's smile changed back to a smirk. "Oh, nothing. It just seems that you've grown up quite a bit through this ordeal, Edward."

Edward suddenly looked excited. "Huh? I've grown?" He grinned. "You mean you really think I got taller!?" He laughed and patted Alphonse playfully on the shoulder. "That's great!"

Sora looked back at Alexander. "So what are we going to do now, Alex? Back home for some rest?"

Alex shook his head. "Well, maybe you guys should. But I've got bigger fish to fry now. If what Dilan said was true, then there's no doubt that the other four apprentices are waiting for me somewhere in the universe. Once I enter another universe, they'll come looking for me." He grinned. "So I'll head home and choose another game to be the Interference in."

Looking at his friends, he said, "I think I should drag you guys through another whole adventure. You guys go home to Destiny Islands. Fortunately, time should have stopped there for a while, so it won't even be like you left."

This caught Edward's attention. "Huh? You mean that time stops like that?"

Alex nodded. "Yep. When Interferences travel to other worlds, the real world stops in time for a while until he or she returns. When I do return, that world is put in a time stop for the real world to catch up."

Edward grinned. "But if you aren't taking Sora or the others to the next game, then who'll help you if the Heartless arrive there?"

This proposition caught Alex off guard. "Well, uh... actually..."

Edward looked at his brother. "What do you say, Al? Want to go on an adventure?"

Alphonse looked back at him, a little confused. "Uh, are you saying that..."

Edward grinned even wider. "Yep! Let's also become Interferences!" He looked back at Alex. "You can do that, can't you? Take us with you to the next universe! And, as you said, time should stop here while we're gone, so it'll be like we never left!"

Armstrong was shocked. "Edward Elric! The train's getting ready to depart! You can't leave now!"

Alexander smiled. "Sure, why not? There's plenty of time for us to have an adventure and get back before your train leaves."

Sora smirked at him. "Alright, then. Have fun, Alex."

Alexander smirked back. "It's a video game made a reality. How can I not have fun in it?" He turned toward the crowd behind him, and shouted, "**Everybody move!!!**"

Surprised, the large crowd scattered. Alex summoned his Heartless Seal Lockshield out of darkness and pointed it at the empty space. "Unlock!" A bright blue beam shot out from the center of the shield and into the air in front of them. After a few yards, it stabbed into the air, creating a ripple. The ripple expanded until it transformed into a dark portal.

Alex looked back at Edward and Alphonse. "You guys ready?"

Alphonse nodded with new determination. "As ready as I'll ever be! Let's go!"

Edward grinned. "You heard 'im! Let's go!"

Alexander nodded, and started running toward the portal, with the Elrics close behind him. Right before he reached the gate, he looked to the side and saw the figures of Crowley and Elma in the crowd, glowing brightly and waving goodbye to them. When one of the surprised crowd's body passed over Alex's view, they were gone.

Alex smiled and jumped into the portal. Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric followed suit, and soon they had completely left the world of Amestris.

Alex remembered a passage from Yen Sid's book, back in the early part of his first adventure: _Each journey gives rise to chance encounters, and each encounter brings forth a farewell. When a farewell leads to a journey, the worlds open their hearts._ Well, he had just gone through a journey, and had said farewell to his old friends from Kingdom Hearts. That meant that another journey to another world would certainly be around the corner.

**The Interference II: Curse of the Crimson Elixir**

_**END**_


	18. Conclusion Special

**Conclusion Special  
Author's Notes (Second Edition)**

Wow. Just... wow.

Hello, Newbie-Spud here with another edition of the Author's Notes. I hadn't done one before in this story, and I'm glad to have finally made it this far. But... wow! The sequel to The Interference is finally finished! I'm shocked beyond words... almost.

Thanks to all of you that supported me. And, without further ado, let's bring out the notes. As always, these are merely my own opinions. Feel free to disagree with them.

* * *

Crossing Over

A crossover is not always an easy thing to do, and it certainly wasn't in my case. Kingdom Hearts with Fullmetal Alchemist? There are more compatible universes than those. Still, I managed to do something with it. And here I am with a finished sequel.

While I am following the basic story of the host game, I still had to figure in the presences of all of these other characters I had brought in. And it isn't easy, giving everyone a fair share of lines. The last thing a writer wants is for one of his characters to have few or no lines in a scene.

Another thing I had to keep in mind was that I was dragging a lot of Kingdom Hearts fans from my first story into the FMA universe without warning. So I had to be extra careful and explain in greater details so that my old readership wouldn't be lost in the extra details.

Overall, I'm proud of myself.

* * *

Story Length?

The Interference had _43 chapters_, not including Specials.  
The Interference II has _17 chapters_, not including this one.

The Interference exceeded _150 thousand words_.  
The Interference II was lucky to have gotten above _75 thousand words_.

The Interference took a little _over five months_ to finish.  
The Interference II took a little _less than three months_ to finish.

Apparently, something is vastly different here. Well, people have been asking why this is, and I have to come clean. The game of FMA2 is just not anywhere **near** the length of KH2. However, I do seem to have gone quality over quantity in this case.

For one thing, my grammar had improved somewhere halfway. As well as my attention to detail. Not only that, but it seems that all of my chapters had some kind of suspenseful element. Every chapter was a pleasure to write.

* * *

Erica Karsath

This is a pain to talk about. Writing Alexander's sister was a hard thing to do. Not only as her initial fangirl personality, but as her Heartless in the end. And killing her... ugh, I just don't want to talk about it. However, it seems she had a Nobody, and we should be seeing her later in the far future.

Erica is actually based on my own sister, who is a fangirl in many respects. Fullmetal Alchemist was one of her obsessions, but it has since changed to Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho or some other anime like that. I never keep track, and my feelings on it are the same as Alexander's: it makes me sick.

* * *

"The Interference" Saga

It's a short set of Notes, and it seems I'll have to draw this to a close with this proposition. Some of you have been asking me to make a sequel after this one, or at least hinting at it. Well, the verdict has long since been "yes." After all, the plot of the series has now become Alexander's struggle against the remainder of Ansem's Heartless apprentices. No doubt this'll take the span of several stories to finish, crossing over into many other games. It's a fun ambition to look toward, and I plan on working hard at it.

For now, though, I can't leave you with a sneak preview. But I will leave you with a title. Coming soon, look out for **The Interference III: Wings of Time**! It'll be in the Crossovers section again. Of course, I can't reveal what crossover it'll be yet, heh heh...

Until next time, readers! Keep on reviewing, and I thank you a thousand times over for your support! It shouldn't be long before the next chapter of the Interference saga begins!


End file.
